Save Tonight
by LoKi-Shiver
Summary: FINISHED! A RoyceOC fic. 6 teens stumble upon the ruined house of glass and get involved with the ghosts in more ways than they ever imagined. Thank you so much to my wonderful reviewers
1. Default Chapter

{A/N I don't own Thir13en Ghosts - the movie or the characters, nor do I wish I did. (Except Royce..well..half of him ~_^) Please read and review. ~  
LoKi}  
  
SYNOPSIS: The house of glass was destroyed and all of the spirits were set free..right? How about no? Cyrus' last words were a containment spell and now the 12 ghosts are trapped near the house until Cyrus passes over, and fuck knows how long that'll take. When a group on 6 teens, brought up in a group home stumble upon the ruins of the house that Satan built, they become the ones who must ultimately free the ghosts and destroy Cyrus once and for all.  
  
CHAPTER I - Coal Tar Soap.  
  
Mayra Erikson sighed contently and turned the page of her drugstore romance novel. Her time alone with her smut was few and far between and she was going to enjoy it no matter what.  
  
"Matron! We're out of dog food!"  
  
"And Lucky Charms!"  
  
She sighed deeply and looked towards the kitchen where the voices bellowed. Her youngest boys, Zeke and Lucas appeared in the doorway and held up an empty dog food dish and cereal box.  
  
"Bring me my purse, then." Mayra said softly closing the book and rubbing her temples. She took out her wallet and handed the boys some money. "Take Buster with you, he could use a walk." As they turned to retrieve the family dog, the sounds of Back Sabbath swept through the house from the attic.  
  
"Huh, I guess Broadway's up." Zeke commented.  
  
"About time, it's almost noon." Luke added.  
  
"Leave your sister alone, she's been having a rough time." The boys exchanged glances and sauntered off wordlessly to find their bulldog. Mayra walked to the kitchen and pushed a button on the intercom.  
  
"Broadway? Are you there?" The music eased in volume and a soft, sleepy voice could be heard on the other line.  
  
"Yes Matron?"  
  
"Zeke and Lucas just went to the store to get some stuff, are you hungry at all?"  
  
"Nah, I'll eat a little bit later.' She paused. 'Are the others up?"  
  
"Mallory is in the garden, Seth is in the basement, and I think Bianca is smoothing out the last few details of the trip." Mayra replied.  
  
"Alright, I'm going to throw some clothes on and work on my car. If you need me, I'll be in the garage." Broadway responded. The line abruptly shut off and the intercom went dead. The metallic, haunting voice of Ozzy Osbourne floated through the house once again.  
  
"Tell me people am I going insane? Insane?"  
  
The basement door swung open as Mayra returned to her seat and her oldest child, Seth, popped his head trough the doorway.  
  
"Matron, tell Broadway to turn it up - I can't hear the music in the basement."  
  
"What am I - the messenger of music? Tell her yourself when she comes downstairs." She replied. The door swung shut and the house - for the most part - was peaceful.  
  
~*~  
  
"Ow - SHIT!" Broadway rubbed the back of her head and cursed loudly. Luckily for her, the music was noisy enough to drown the words out, preventing the Matron from hearing. As the pain died down she cast a glance at the hood of her ebony truck. "Jeez, what did you do that for? I check your oil and this is how you repay me? Enough with you then, I'm going inside." She cleaned her hands with an old towel and turned towards the door, promptly slamming into her oldest brother.  
  
"Hey Squirt, car pissing you off?"  
  
"Seth?! Don't ever sneak up on me like that again! Trying to give me heart failure, ah?" Her brother crossed his arms across his chest.  
  
"Now why would I do something like that when I can just poison you instead?"  
  
"Don't be a shit head, what do you want?" She replied impatiently.  
  
"Relax, it's lunch time and Matron asked me to get you." Seth said. Broadway's expression softened.  
  
"Oh..thanks. What are we having?"  
  
"Leftovers."  
  
"Quiche?!"  
  
"Yep."  
  
"Sweet!" Broadway raced past him and into the house. Seth grinned and waited patiently for the impending verbal onslaught he was going to receive.  
  
"SETH! You fucking cunt, this is Kraft Dinner!"  
  
"Broadway!! I'm going to wash that mouth of yours out with soap!!" Mayra scolded fiercely dragging her youngest out of the kitchen by her ear.  
  
"But - but, Seth-"  
  
"But nothing."  
  
Seth chuckled to himself and strolled into the front hall, closing the garage door behind him.  
  
~*~  
  
(Later on that evening)  
  
"So Broadway, does your mouth still taste like Ivory?" Mallory asked her sister. Broadway made a face.  
  
"No, Matron used Coal Tar Soap." Her brothers and sisters exploded into a chorus of 'EWWWW's'. Broadway glared at Seth.  
  
"You know I hate you, right?"  
  
Seth smiled and produced a plastic container. "No you don't. I saved you the last little bit of quiche. I thought it might help with the soap taste."  
  
"I still think you're a shit." She mumbled taking a bite of food. "But you're my favorite shit." Her sister Bianca unrolled a map onto the coffee table.  
  
"Okay, Brahms is 300 miles from here, about a five hour drive. If we leave at noon, we should get to the resort at about six." She pointed to different points on the map as she spoke.  
  
"Wow, the distance between towns sure is drastic. If we had a breakdown.." Mallory trailed off and chewed on her lip.  
  
"Don't worry, we have two cell phones and all the necessities needed to change tires. Not to mention we'll have Broadway in case we run into engine trouble." Bianca assured her. Broadway nodded enthusiastically.  
  
"We have tow cars AND my Avalanche has more than enough strength to tow your car if need be, plus, I just installed the CB. Nothing could go wrong."  
  
"Yeah, Broadway's Avalanche is a BEAST! Brand new suspensions, ah?" Zeke added eagerly. Yeah, he's all ready to go..by the way - who's riding with me"  
  
"How many can you hold."  
  
"Including myself, three. The rest of the space should be used for gear." Seth nodded.  
  
"Alright, I'm riding with you then."  
  
"I call shotgun!" Luke said raising his hand. Mallory sighed.  
  
"Alright, the rest of you are with me. Rest up, then. I want the cars loaded and on the road by ten tomorrow morning."  
  
"Yes Ma'am." Seth gave her a salute. Mallory shooed everyone out of the living room and turned off the lights. All was silent once more, save for the sounds of doors shutting and the quiet hum of the furnace in the basement.  
  
~*~  
  
"Maybe if we hit it one more time, we'll be able to break through." Her voice was soft and airy, like the wind caught in summer leaves. She cast a glance at the boy next to her. He looked thoughtful for a moment and hen nodded.  
  
"Fine, doll, but I don't think it's gonna get us anyplace fast." His speech was slurred and somewhat forced. He shot a look at the smoldering pile of metal behind him and frowned deeply. She placed a hand on his shoulder.  
  
"I know, Prince, I know." 


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2 - Route 15  
  
Zeke loaded his gear into the trunk of Mallory's car and closed it heavily. "That's all that's going to fit, the rest is going with you Broadway." He crammed Bianca's sleeping bag and camping gear into the backseat of her truck beside Seth and Luke's stuff. Broadway shielded her eyes against the sun.  
  
"Is that all? Are we ready to go now?" Mallory checked her watch.  
  
"Yes, we're running just a little bit behind but if we hurry, we should make it before rush hour."  
  
"Alright then, lets go." The group said their good-byes to Mayra and headed down the driveway. Broadway clicked on her CB radio and placed her favorite CD into the dash. AC/DC's Back in Black album blared from the Avalanches sound system. It was a beautiful spring day, not too cold, but not scorching hot yet. Because it was only Tuesday, there wasn't much traffic in or out of town and the group reached their first checkpoint by two o'clock.  
  
"Maybe we'll get here sooner than we thought, wouldn't that be a bonus?" Zeke said thoughtfully.  
  
"We still have a long road ahead of us so don't get too carried away." Broadway replied hopping onto the hood of her truck and leaning against the windshield.  
  
"You're so mean, Broadway."  
  
"Nah, just realistic."  
  
Seth crossed the parking lot of the coffee stop the paused at, carrying drinks for everyone. "Make these last because we're not stopping again until we reach Swanson." He warned. Luke too a long drink of his Orange Crush and mumbled a "Whatever" to his brother. Bianca was looking over her maps again.  
  
"We might not even make it to Swanson, look at this." The group crowded around the hood of Mallory's car and examined the points Bianca had circled in red marker. "If we take this highway for another 30 miles and then turn north-east onto this highway - route 15, we can pass through a place called Willow Grove and save ourselves the hassle of driving through Swanson and going AROUND Little Lake. Willow Grove goes right over the lake and after that, it's a straight drive to the resort!"  
  
"Shit, we'd be there before five o'clock if we took that route." Seth said.  
  
"I say we go for it, me ass is getting flat." Zeke added.  
  
"I don't like it." Mallory said sternly. Broadway rolled her eyes impatiently.  
  
"Mallory, we don't have time for one of your paranoid spazz-outs. Last time I checked, they don't build houses for the hell of it, there has to be some houses or something there. It's still daylight and it's going to be daylight for a long time. We have cell phones, we have tow ropes, we have a CB radio, we have everything we could ever possibly need for an emergency so what the fuck is the problem?!"  
  
"I just don't like it but I suppose majority wins." Lucas smiled.  
  
"Who knows, it might be fun."  
  
~*~  
  
There was a bright flash followed by a brief scream. Her body was thrown backwards and she landed not so gracefully next to half a dozen other bodies. She pulled herself up onto her elbows and retrieved the knife that lay at her side.  
  
"Well that sucked." She murmured. Another girl to her left sobbed.  
  
"I can't take this anymore, it's not fair! What did we ever do to deserve this?"  
  
"We died."  
  
"Well, I'm glad YOU find this funny!"  
  
"I don't. I just don't like to sit and complain about it like someone I know. At least we're all; trying to do something about it."  
  
"Yeah, well a lot of good it's doing."  
  
"Cut the gas, both of you! Quit acting like a pair of ankle biters and cool it before I get frosted." The pair erupted into giggles once more.  
  
"I swear Prince, you become more and more incoherent as the days go on."  
  
"Says you!"  
  
The approaching Giant grunted at the three and pushed against the invisible barrier. Sparks flew up around his hands and shoulders and he groaned again in pain. The barrier gave slightly before sending the Giant stumbling backwards. He uttered a single curse word and stormed off to uproot trees. 


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3 - Left Behind.  
  
All she could think of was her husband and children. All day, all night and all the time. She wanted nothing more then the opportunity to see them once more, just for a second. She sent Arthur dreams, pleading for him to return just one more time. It was safe now, for the most part, but she knew that soon, He would return and trap them once more. Cyrus. The name gave her the shivers and no matter how hard she tried, his voice still haunted her thoughts. Jean knew about the loophole though, ever since the Prince pried that God-forsaken book out of Kalina's cold fingers, she had studied the pages and became aware of every detail of the Arcanum. She knew that once Cyrus crossed over and recovered from the Denial Period, she, and the others would have five minutes to leave the property and get as far away from the house as possible before He returned and they would be trapped forever and dragged down to Hell. But, once Jean crossed over, you'd never see her family again until they died, and even then, there were no guarantees. Death was a bitch like that.  
  
Being the primary maternal figure, most of the younger spirits had attached themselves to her. Jean often tried in vain to loosen the horrible bonds as Susan cried and shook uncontrollably. She often tried to stop Dana's bleeding, and Billy's headaches. Even though he was much more reserved and independent than his supernatural comrades, Royce too had often found some glimmer of hope in the words of The Withered Lover. Maybe because she was the only one who didn't poke fun at his irregular speech pattern and had the slightest clue what he was taking about when the others could only giggle or make some sort of cynical comment. As a result, he remained mute for days at a time, brooding in the basement next to the remains of his once prized "Screamer." (As he so delicately put it.)  
  
The ghosts had often asked Royce about his past, how he died. He would shrug his shoulders and reply, "I went flat out and stacked up my screamer." No one asked many questions after that.  
  
~*~  
  
Arthur shifted gears and sped down the freeway as fast as he could without putting himself or other motorists in danger. He was still recovering from the dream when he grabbed his car keys and sped off in the night towards Willow Grove. The dream, which was somewhere between that and a nightmare, had been haunting his sleep for the past six weeks or so.  
  
He was standing at his wife's grave looking down at her coffin. The lullaby she used to sing to their children was playing softly in the wind and a light rain was falling. Arthur could hear his wife calling out to him from within the coffin and begging him to come to her. He would hop into the grave and open the lid, exposing, not Jean, but the maggot filled remains of her corpse. Her skull, with the rotting flesh and clumps of hair would turn to look at him, the jaws snapping open and closed as she sang the lullaby. Arthur would try too leave but the skeletons hands would pull him into the coffin and onto the rotten body. And then, Arthur would wake up, sweating like a pig and shaking like a leaf. The same dream happened every night from then on, and he couldn't change it no matter what he did or how hard he tried. The coffin lid would snap closed and he would wake up.  
  
He signaled and turned onto Route 15. He had been driving all night and now it was late afternoon, though it wouldn't be much farther now. Arthur squinted against the sun.  
  
"What the hell is that?" He thought. "Oh shit." Pulled off to the side of the road were two vehicles and a group of teenagers. One of the girls waved him down. Arthur didn't stop, he couldn't. He needed to get to Jean and didn't have time to deal with people. If they were still here when he drove back, he would stop and help, but for now, he had other things to do.  
  
~*~  
  
Mallory waved at the oncoming seemingly speeding car but to no avail. The driver gave her a quick look but didn't even slow down. He drove right past her billowing up dust clouds as he passed. Broadway cursed loudly as she searched through her truck for the spare gas canister.  
  
"Well, would you look at that? The nerve!" Mallory leaned against the side of her car as Broadway produced the red container from under some other supplies.  
  
"I TOLD you to fill up at the service station, but nooooOOOoOOo!" She emptied the contents of the gas can into the Malibu and chucked it back into her truck. Mallory sighed.  
  
"I know, I know, I'm sorry, and I meant to, but we left in such an excited hurry that the thought must have slipped my mind." She looked at the car in the distance and frowned. "I wonder why HE was in such a hurry?"  
  
"Maybe he was heading home to catch his wife in bed with another guy?" Seth offered. Zeke rolled his eyes.  
  
"Yeah man, that must be it." In the distance, the car turned off the road and disappeared. "Come on lets get going. This little pit stop is done and over with."  
  
~*~ 


	4. Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4 - Encounter  
  
Arthur turned off the highway and onto the long driveway. His heart caught in his chest as the skeletal remains of the glass house came into view. He pressed on the breaks and turned the ignition off, listening to the dead silence of his surroundings. Although the area was heavily wooded nothing moved, and no birds sang. It felt as if he had stopped time by turning his car off. Arthur was reluctant to exit the safety of his Toyota, but opened the door and stepped into the warm late spring air. Memories came flooding back and he had to close his eyes for a brief moment. He took a few steps towards the house and peered around cautiously, half expecting to be picked up and flung around like a rag doll - just the same as Dennis. Arthur had thought about Dennis as much as Jean in the months following his bizarre encounter with the house and his Uncle Cyrus. The man he barely knew who had sacrificed his life to save the lives of Arthur and his children. He held Dennis is great respect and made damn sure that he had a good funeral.  
  
Arthur shook the thoughts out of his head and continued to take small cautious steps towards the house. He shivered even though the weather was warm, and wrapped his jacket around himself tighter. Everything remained still and quiet, and Arthur found himself whistling softly to calm his frazzled nerves. He stopped though, when a ghostly presence began to whistle back.  
  
~*~  
  
Dennis chuckled to himself and watched the expression on Arthur's face change from quiet fear to straight on terror when he pursed his lips and mimed the tune that Arthur began to whistle. He didn't laugh anymore, save for the odd moment, but this was too funny. He frowned suddenly as Jean appeared and gazed lovingly at Arthur.  
  
"I can't believe he came! It worked!" Her face fell slightly. "Oh, but he can't see me, can he?"  
  
"Nah, but he can hear you." Jean smiled again and took a few steps towards her lost love.  
  
"Arthur? Darling, can you hear me?" Arthur turned white and his lips quivered as he forced his reply out of his mouth.  
  
"Jean? Jean, is that really you?" She smiled broadly.  
  
"Yes, Arthur, it's really me. You came to me."  
  
"I had to - I had to know for sure that you were..you had.."  
  
"Crossed over?" She offered.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Well, I haven't. Something terrible has happened, Arthur. You must help me, help us." His face twisted into confusion.  
  
"Us? What do you mean us?" Jean glanced over at the other wraith that stood beside her.  
  
"Give him the glasses, Dennis." She whispered. He nodded and tossed the slightly bent pair of glasses over to where Arthur stood. Reluctantly, he reached down and fixed them upon his face. His expression was a mixture of fear and surprise. Arthur cast worried glance at the ghosts, who were casually situated behind Jean and Dennis around the house. Instead of their former horrific appearances, they took their natural forms, that is to say - how they looked BEFORE they died. It was hard to tell some of the ghosts apart. Finally his eyes fell on Jean and he smiled. She looked lovely - they way he remembered her, not how he had seen her after the attack by the Juggernaut.  
  
"Hello Arthur." She said calmly. Dennis gave a small wave.  
  
"Hey there."  
  
"Dennis? Jean! What's going on here?" He went to his wife's side and was surprised when she placed a cold hand on his arm. Arthur quivered and took her in his arms. She was cold and very light, but felt exactly the same. She opened her mouth to reply, but was cut off by the sound of a loud engine and the sight of a large black truck roaring up the driveway. Arthur grimaced.  
  
"Oh shit." 


	5. Chapter 5

CHAPTER 5 - Commencement.  
  
Royce, who was not particularly impressed with the appearance of Arthur and consequently slipped into the basement, cocked his head to one side and listened to the sound of the approaching vehicle. It sounded big, and powerful and accordingly caught his attention. He made his way to the grounds and stood beside Dana and Susan.  
  
"What's going on now?" Susan whispered. The Princess shook her head.  
  
"Hell as I know."  
  
Royce observed the truck that was rapidly making it's way up the drive and wondered about the guy driving it. He figured he must have been a seasoned driver, the way he was making the tight turns and handling the rough bumps. The way Arthur was driving before you'd think he was on pins and needles. It was about that time that he noticed the small red car following more slowly and cautiously behind the truck. From what Royce could see, it had a female driver.  
  
"Figures." He thought to himself.  
  
The truck jammed the breaks and the door swung open. Royce almost fell over when the petite driver jumped down from the driver's seat.  
  
"No way." He murmured. The driver was a girl, about his age, though with her height she could have been younger. She had dark chestnut hair and pale skin. She was wearing all black and her shirt had something written across the front. She stormed up to Arthur and glared at him fiercely. Royce couldn't tell what she was saying, but figured he'd go in for a closer look. It's not like she could see him or anything.  
  
Broadway glared at Arthur and crossed her arms in front of her chest. She didn't see or even notice the ghosts situated right before her.  
  
"Thanks for totally blowing us off back there! What's your deal? Are you anthrophobic or something - afraid of people? We could haven in really BIG shit and you didn't even give us a second glance!"  
  
"I know and I'm sorry, but you have to understand that there is something very serious here that I needed to take care of immediately." Arthur protested putting his hands up in defense. She rolled her eyes.  
  
"Oh, right, I'm sorry! I see that you're doing some very important business here at this..this..dude, what the hell is this place anyway?! And what the hell are you wearing!"  
  
"Broadway! Get back here, come on, let's go! Who cares?!" One of the other teens from the road was hanging out of the trucks window. He looked a bit older and had short black hair, which he spiked up in numerous long points.  
  
"Fuck that Seth, I want to know why this guy was in such a hurry." Arthur gave her a stern look.  
  
"Look, I'm sorry, I truly am, and I swear that I was going to go back to you once I was done here, but I needed to check something. But right now, you and your friends have to leave! Right away."  
  
"Why? Are you hiding something?"  
  
"Yes, alright, I'm hiding bodies. Thirteen to be exact, now will you go away. Obviously you don't need my help anymore so just continue on with what you were doing!" Suddenly, the area directly behind the girl flickered and Arthur witnessed the Torn Prince fade into sight and approach her. He shouldered his bat and gave Arthur a "Do something about it" look. Panicking, Arthur grabbed Broadway by the shoulders and pushed her, a little rougher than he intended, away from the ghost. He glared at Arthur.  
  
"I wasn't going to do anything, nerd." He mumbled. Broadway fumed with anger and slung her fist at Arthur, catching him hard in the stomach. All hell started to break loose as the others stormed out of the cars and ran towards their sister. Arthur reeled in pain and caught his breath; the girl had a nice punch. Royce grinned and chuckled. He wasn't expecting THAT to happen. He found himself surrounded by people in what seemed to be two seconds. Jean tossed a look at Royce.  
  
"Get moving Royce."  
  
"I just wanted a better look-"  
  
"Shoo!" He scowled and flickered out of sight.  
  
Seth was the first to reach Arthur and gave him a hard shove. Jean had to think of something fast, she didn't want any more violence here. She glanced from Arthur to Dennis and back to Arthur and did the first thing that came to her mind. She sang the lullaby. Almost immediately, all the fighting stopped and the teens looked to where the song was coming from. When it was silent for a moment, she spoke.  
  
"Settle down! There's not to be any more fighting here!?"  
  
"Who said that?" The oldest girl said nervously.  
  
"My husband Arthur can tell you." She looked warily at he anxious man before her. Mallory raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Is this a joke?" Arthur cleared his throat audibly and pondered how prey tell he was going to explain his situation to an angry bunch of teenagers.  
  
"Well..uh, that, the person speaking is my wife, Jean. I came here t-to se if she was..alright." Zeke raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Alright, then where is she?"  
  
"See, that might be a little difficult to explain." Arthur paused and looked at Jean for support. She nodded slowly. "Well, you see..my wife is, that is to say she has been, well..Jean. Her name is Jean."  
  
"That's nice, so where is she?" Zeke asked. Arthur began to get hot.  
  
"Alright. This is going to sound crazy and you're probably not going to believe me, but my wife is dead. She died a year ago in a fire. The voice you're hearing is hers, she's trapped here and I came to see if I could help her pass over." There was a moment of silence before Luke spoke.  
  
"You're fucked up, man."  
  
"Yes, I am - very fucked up, now will you get the hell out of here?!" Arthur pleaded. Seth grabbed his younger brothers by the arms.  
  
"Lets go now, this place and this dude gives me the willies." Broadway nodded.  
  
"Yeah." They turned to approached their cars. Arthur let out a relieved sigh and grinned at Jean. As she reached for the door, Broadway felt the earth tremble and looked back towards the house.  
  
"Did you guys feel that?"  
  
~*~  
  
Jean felt it and she also felt the terror rise in her throat. "Arthur..it's starting!"  
  
"What's starting?"  
  
"I never got the chance to tell you - why I've called you here! When Cyrus died he uttered a containment spell and trapped us here on the property until he crossed over. However, because he IS the architect of Basilious' machine he also sold his soul to Satan and therefore now has the power to defy death and come back to try again. He's going to try to bring the Ocularis to life again and once it begins we only have about five minutes MAX to get as far away from this house as possible before we're trapped forever and brought to Hell. We have to keep some of the other more violent ghosts in check too - if they kill anyone before they cross over, we'll all be brought to hell."  
  
"That explains some things." Arthur muttered looking over at the three largest and most ominous looking spirits lingering near the back of the house. The Hammer, the Jackal and the Juggernaut. Jean shook her head and continued.  
  
"Once I cross over, though, I'll never get he chance to speak or see you again and I needed to one more time - I know how selfish that is but you have to understand why I did it!" Jean spoke fast and fearfully. Arthur nodded and held her to his body again.  
  
"Jean, I understand." There was a strange metal on metal sound as the ruins of the glass house began to come together slowly. One of the male ghosts pocketed a pack of playing cards and approached Jean and Arthur.  
  
"Looks like it's finally starting. We'll, that son of a bitch isn't going to get me again!"  
  
The invisible barrier that held he ghosts in place shimmered and Arthur began to make out the writing etched within it. He caught sight of the teens and waved at them.  
  
"Get out of here! Now!" They stared back at him in disbelief, frozen in place. The Torso stuck his hand through the barrier and out into freedom. He smiled glanced back at Jean.  
  
"Better get moving." And with that, he flickered out of existence. The house was taking form now and some of the walls had been restored. Wordlessly, a woman in a long velvet dress passes through the barrier and nodded at the others. Jean smiled back.  
  
"Goodbye, Isabella." One by one, the ghosts escaped their prison. The Great Child clung to his mother's hand as they slipped through the divider and into freedom. Jean ushered the ghost of the First Born Son out the blockade, giving him a quick kiss on the forehead. He made a face and disappeared. The lumbering form of the Hammer was the next to slip through followed by a man dressed in early 20th century fashion. Arthur would never have guessed it was the Jackal until he tried to take a little bite out of Jean's shoulder. The Juggernaut grabbed him by the collar and shoved him out the wall. He glanced at her quickly.  
  
"Get moving."  
  
"I will, Breaker." Jean replied monotonously. Arthur noted with irritability that the group of kids had not moved. Broadway took a step towards the house.  
  
"What the hell is happening!?" Dennis removed another pair of glasses from his jacket pocket ad threw them at her. They landed at her feet and she hesitantly placed them on her nose. What she saw floored her. There was a man and a woman standing next to Arthur and there was a thin wall of some sort in front of them. In the background by the rubble were three more people, though she couldn't make them out from where she was standing. She ran up to Arthur and gave Dennis and Jean a good look.  
  
"You weren't kidding..this is amazing!"  
  
"No we weren't. Are you satisfied now - can you leave?" Arthur snapped. She nodded slowly.  
  
"Uh-huh." She looked again at the last three ghosts as they sprinted towards the barrier.  
  
"Hurry up, we've only got about 3 minutes left!" One of the girls called to the other. She was wearing a bath towel and nothing more, Her friend was wearing a 1980's style prom dress and a tiara. She looked as though she was having trouble running in her high heels. They got to the wall and gave Broadway a quick glance before passing through. The girl in the towel turned back towards the house.  
  
"Prince! Floor it! We have to move!" Broadway watched the third ghost with mild interest. He looked about her age, but something was very different. He looked as if he was from the 50's or something. He was almost regrettably making his way to the barrier. Dennis gave him a pat on the back.  
  
"Looks' like it's time for you and her to part."  
  
"Don't touch me." Was his only response. The ghost stepped up to the barrier and pressed his ands against it, only to be thrown back violently. He landed roughly and pushed himself up slowly. The towel girl frowned.  
  
"What the hell is going on? Why can't he leave!?" Jean looked horrified.  
  
"Because a part of him is still in the house." Broadway gave her a confused look.  
  
"What's going on?"  
  
"He has about 2 minutes to get his car out of the basement of that house before he's trapped in the spirit world forever and dragged to Hell." Dennis replied. Broadway looked at the ghost.  
  
"Well, get her moving!"  
  
"I can't!"  
  
"Why the hell not! Oh, uselessness!" Broadway bolted for the quickly coming together house and picked her way through the broken metal and glass. The walls were almost all up. She heard the protests of Arthur and the others but ignored them. She was stopped when she felt something grab her arm. She was swung around fiercely and brought face to face to the male ghost. 


	6. Chapter 6

CHAPTER 6 - Start of a Wonderful Vacation  
  
"What are you doing?" He demanded.  
  
"I have a way with cars, I'm going to get your ass out of here. I don't really know what's going on or who you are or why I'm doing this, but Hell doesn't sound like very much fun and I just feel like I have to try something." She pulled free of his grasp but her cut her off again.  
  
"Look, you need to cut out right now, okay? Split! This isn't a game for a dolly like you to play!" Broadway studied the scars that littered his face and hand.  
  
"Look, I, no, WE don't have the time to stand here and argue - we'll you just show me where your car is!"  
  
"Fine, but I'm telling you, it's pretty much hopeless. She's totaled." He led her through the rubble and down the rickety steps into the basement. There the mangled remains of his car confronted her.  
  
"Jesus! How are we going to get this through?"  
  
"I told you it was hopeless!"  
  
"No it's not!" She checked her watch. They only had about a minute left.  
  
"Hold on, I can restore her a little, enough to get her over to that-" he pointed to a slanted part of the house. "Then, I can push her."  
  
"With a minute left - good luck." She looked at him and saw the fear pool into his dead eyes. "Hold on a sec. Restore it the best you can and get it to that ramp!" She took off running before he could answer. Royce calmed himself to the best of his abilities and concentrated on his car. The scars on his face reddened and he winced in pain. A drop of blood snaked it's way out of the corner of his mouth and ran down his arm. The white t-shirt under his jacket turned red and he called out sharply. Royce managed to flip his car over and restore it enough to get in and start her up. He knew that she never purred for more an a few second and tried to get he as close to the ramp as possible. His body screamed with pain and his head throbbed like nothing else. He didn't have much time left, half a minute at most. It looked like once again, his car was going to be his death trap.  
  
~*~  
  
She ran as fast as she could, past the ghosts and siblings and jumped into her truck. Broadway turned the ignition on and floored it to the back of the house. There was still a little bit of space, just enough to fit a car through, but would she have the time to do it? She tossed the other end of the towrope down to Royce and he clipped it onto his front bumper. She noticed that his face was red and with blood and faintly understood that he had to make a few sacrifices in order to make it out. He climbed behind the wheel and coaxed his car to go on for just a little bit longer. Broadway jammed her Avalanche into drive and floored it once more.  
  
Her siblings joined Arthur in a cluster and watched in muted horror - via taking turns with the special glasses he handed them - as their baby sister pulled the corrupted vehicle out of the basement just as the walls shut tightly. The two ropes gave slightly and snapped as it emerged from the house and they both roared and thundered towards the barrier, away from everyone. Broadway raced through and did a 180 turn near Mallory's sedan. She watched as the second car came closer and closer to the barrier.  
  
"Come on!" She coaxed in her head. She checked her watch. 3..2..1..The car Royce was in crossed the barrier and burst into flames, compacting and collapsing into itself. She let a cry out and leapt from her truck, followed by Arthur, her siblings and the other ghosts. They found Royce kneeling by the driver side door. His head was bowed, though a pool of blood was forming around him. Slowly, the car extinguished itself and sat silent and smoldering.  
  
Susan took a tentative step forward. "Prince?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Are you alright?"  
  
"No."  
  
Bianca charged at her sister and wrapped her in a tight hug. "You crazy bitch! What the fuck were you thinking?"  
  
"You could have been trapped in there!" Luke added. Mallory nodded and wrapped her arms around her sister.  
  
"I'm fine, I'm alright you guys." Broadway said quietly. Seth punched her lightly in the arm.  
  
"What could have possibly possessed you to do something so stupid?"  
  
"I just acted. It felt like the right thing to do, like I had to do it or something. Zeke shook his head and removed the glasses from his face.  
  
"Well, isn't this the start of a lovely vacation?" 


	7. Chapter 7

CHAPTER 7 - Linked  
  
Dana kneeled by Royce and tugged on his sleeve.  
  
"We have to get out of here! Cyrus will be back any minute!" She cast a glance at the house with her good eye and shuddered. Susan grabbed the other sleeve and together they pulled him to somewhat of a standing position. Dennis frowned.  
  
"He's too weak to stand, let alone phase!"  
  
"Well, what do you think we should do then?" Susan snapped.  
  
"It's my professional opinion that we should get the hell out of here!" Dennis yelled. The wind was picking up and the house was coming together at a rapid pace. Through the glass they could see the giant gears spinning and twisting as if performing a demonic dance.  
  
Mallory, Bianca and Zeke piled into their car and poised themselves to leave. Seth and Luke dragged Broadway towards her Avalanche and forced her behind the wheel.  
  
"Drive, dude! Lets get the shit out of here!" Luke called over the howling winds. Broadway stuck the key into the ignition and her engine came to life with a roar. She put her truck into reverse and poised it beside Mallory's car. Both cars floored it and drove as fast as they could towards he highway, but the wind pulled one of the uprooted trees into its bony grasp and tossed it before the vehicles. It fell heavily seconds in front of Mallory's sedan and she slammed on the breaks sending the car sliding sideways and crashing into the trunk. Broadway had to swerve to avoid hitting her sisters and brother and consequently got her front wheels caught over one side of the thick tree trunk.  
  
"Shit!" Broadway threw the truck into reverse and pressed on the gas pedal in a panicked attempt to dislodge herself and her brothers from the tree, but with little luck. Her wheels could get a grip on the small branches and only ended up breaking them, leaving her wheels spinning in the air. The wind was picking up almost anything it could get a hold of and tossing it around, making them feel as though they were on the set of 'Twister'.  
  
Arthur watched the accident in voiceless horror as the winds tore at his clothes and body. The house stood before him in all of its majesty, waiting to trap them all inside and enslave them once more. Jean clung to his hand, her mouth a small "o" of fear and the tears shimmering in her eyes. Dana had one hand clutching the front of her towel in an effort to keep it from flying of her and the other had a tight grasp on her kitchen knife. Her hair was billowing out in every direction and she too had a steady stream of tears slipping from her eyes. Susan had an iron grasp on Dana's arm, her dress fluttering madly in the violent air stream. She bit back the scream that was rising in her throat and closed her eyes tightly.  
  
Royce reeled with the surge of another headache. He needed to get out of here, out of this nightmare. He had been so close! All he had to do was muster up enough power to phase out, but every time he tried, another wave of pain brought him back. He needed to rest for a few hours to get the strength he needed, but he was out of time. They all were.  
  
'Dana, Susan, you two need to cut out! He's coming, you know that!"  
  
"We're not leaving without you Prince!" Dana yelled back. He always wondered why they never called him Royce. He had been the fifth ghost captured, Dana right after him, and Susan being the third caught. They never once called him Royce, it had always been Prince. Another surge of pain caused him to snap out of his little reminisces and back to the present. Large black clouds were rolling in and a light rain had begun to fall. It reminded Royce of the day he had been captured; it was pouring rain that night.  
  
Broadway exited her truck and made her way through the branches and towards Arthur.  
  
"This is peachy fucking keen! How the shit are we going to get the hell out of this place now! We're fucked!" Dennis looked down at her.  
  
"No, not yet. We're far enough to stay safe for now." Something moved from the corner of his eye and he caught a glimpse of a figure moving throughout the house. It was clothed in a long black cloak, the hood covering most of its face. "Hey guys, I think we have company!" The figure exited the house and seemed to phase quickly in and out of view towards the group. It stopped behind the flickering barrier.  
  
"Give it to me!" Its voice was staggered and harsh like sand paper, though it was definitely female.  
  
"Give you what?" Dennis knew he had heard the voice somewhere, but didn't know where.  
  
"Give me the book. Give my book back! Give me the Arcanum!" The figure yelled over the wind. Her voice was, in a word, hideous. Dennis frowned and clenched his jaw.  
  
"No Kalina. We can't give you that."  
  
"And why not, Dennis?"  
  
"Because you're a complete psycho and you're not getting the damn book! Disappear." Kalina let another horrible cry escape her throat and pointed a bloody finger at Dennis.  
  
"Give me the Arcanum! If you won't give it to me, I have ways of getting you to hand it over to me. Cyrus will not be kept waiting any longer!"  
  
"You dumb bitch - he killed you! Why would you want to do anything for him?"  
  
"Cyrus always said 'Greatness requires sacrifice'. He didn't kill me - he showed me what sacrifice meant! Now I am great! I have the knowledge of the dead with me! I am powerful beyond any ghost, who do you think brought upon this storm? Who gives the house the power to rebuild itself? Cyrus doesn't have that kind of power..yet, but he will as soon as I take the Arcanum back to him!"  
  
Jean reached into her purse and removed the heavy ancient book, shoving it into Arthur's hands.  
  
"She can get it easily if it's with me, but she'll have a harder time if it's with a mortal." Arthur nodded and gripped the book tightly.  
  
"So you think that by giving it to him you can save yourselves!? You're so pathetic!" Kalina let a high-pitched laugh escape her throat. Dana glared at her and stood up.  
  
"Piss off you fucking skunt!"  
  
"Watch your mouth Dana! Remember that I have the power of the dead and you are nothing but an insect to me. Why don't you let me show me what I can do?"  
  
"You can't do anything, bitch!"  
  
"Try me!" Dana scowled and ran towards Kalina, bringing her knife back and hurling it at her. Kalina raised her hand and stopped it in mid air turning it to face Dana.  
  
"Oh fuck.." Kalina used her telepathy to throw the blade right back at Dana. It struck her in the chest, just below her collarbone and she staggered back in pain. The hundreds of wounds about her body seemed to all open once again in one swift movement. It reminded Seth of when he pulled his stitched out of his leg once before they were ready. Dana shrieked in pain and tried to take the knife out of her body and blood flowed from her gashes. She stumbled backwards and into Susan's arms. She fixed her eyes on Kalina; hate filling their blue depths. Susan tilted her head and levitated a few feet I the air. The tie that hung loosely around her wrist snaked its way up to her neck and shreds of her dress bound her arms behind her.  
  
"So, you like o play mind tricks huh? Well, so do I!" The Bound Woman concentrated on the cinderblocks behind Kalina and they rose slowly from their place. Susan fixed her eyes on the woman before her and sent the heavy blocks of cement hurdling towards her. However, ever her power was no match for Kalinas and the evil spirit caught them mid flight and sent them back at Susan. She tried to stop them or slow them down but couldn't. She closed her eyes and waited for the crash and pain but it never came. Royce stirred from his place and body checked her out of the way moments before the cinderblocks came crashing down. Kalina screeched in anger and focused her energy on Royce. She shook a bloody finger at him slowly used her powerful telepathy to pick up his wrecked Hot Rod and slam it full force into Arthur's Toyota sedan. Royce's' bat slipped from his fingers and he fell to his knees, blood pouring from his face, mouth, chest, it was if his entire body tore open. And he screamed. The sound went right through Broadway and into her core, the sound of his broken cries echoing through her head. Royce tried to get to his feet but Kalina was already lifting whatever was left of his car into the air for another sickening attack.  
  
Seth snatched the glasses off of his brothers' face and shoved them onto his. He couldn't see anything other than the damaged remains of Arthur's' car, though when he slipped the glasses on he saw a much more horrifying sight. He made his way over to where his sister was standing and grabbed her arm. He looked up at Arthur and at Jean and clenched his jaw. Broadway struggled out of his grip and took another step towards the ghosts.  
  
"What's going on? How is she hurting him?" She yelled at Jean.  
  
"Royce is linked to his car, essentially if you hurt the car, you hurt Royce."  
  
"Can it kill him?" Jean shook her head.  
  
"No, he's already dead, but Kalina can continue to put him through agony until we hand over the Arcanum!"  
  
"Like shit she can!" Broadway clenched her fist and bolted through the barrier and towards Kalina. The demon had Royce's car poised high above the ground and was snickering madly. Broadway picked up a long branch off the ground and ran behind her.  
  
"Hey, She-bitch!" She brought it back full swing and whacked Kalina in the side of the head. She let out another howl and dropped Royce's car, though with less force then before. He grit his teeth together and struggled to see through the blood in his eyes. Broadway was standing above Kalina with the thick branch poised above her head. She let it go with another sickening crack and Kalina rolled backwards. Broadway grabbed her robe with both hands and tugged it off her body. Her body was compressed and compacted together and blood was seeping through her broken bones and fractures. Broadway stumbled backwards and dropped the fabric. Kalina screamed like a banshee and retreated back into the glass house. The winds died down to the point where they weren't howling any longer and things almost had a serene look. Seth ran up to his sister and shook her shoulders violently.  
  
"You dumb slut! You have a motherfucking death wish don't you? Don't you!?" She didn't answer and instead kneeled by Royce. She tentatively reached out her hand and touched his shoulder. He winced beneath her fingers and sucked in a dead breath.  
  
"Hey, we have to get you out of here. That freak-show is gone for now, but who the fuck knows when she's going to be back. Can you get up?"  
  
"I..I think so." He struggled to his feet and leaned a little on the smaller girl. Dennis shot an amused look at Jean and Dana. Susan's' eyes glinted with jealousy, but she was too warn out to do anything about it.  
  
"How are we going to get out of here?" Seth asked glancing at the barred exit and demolished vehicles. Arthur shrugged and shook his head.  
  
"I don't know. I don't know anything anymore." Jean sighed.  
  
"I'm sorry Arthur. I've put you in so much danger."  
  
"Don't say that! Lets just get away from this place and then we'll figure things out." She nodded in agreement. Dana leaned against Susan for support and placed a hand around the handle of her knife. Seth winced.  
  
"You're not going to-"  
  
"To take it out? Of course I am, it hurts like a bastard." She tugged on the handle and the blade slid out of her chest, wincing slightly. The wounds about her body closed slowly, leaving only the light pink scars behind. She reminded Broadway faintly of Sally from the Nightmare Before Christmas. Arthur sighed.  
  
"We have to think of something. This is far from over." 


	8. Chapter 8

CHAPTER 8 - Believe In Nothing.  
  
Mallory's Malibu wasn't damaged half as badly as everyone expected and she had poised herself behind Broadways Avalanche. The two ropes were secure and everything was ready.  
  
"Ok, when I say, just throw her into reverse and floor it. With any luck that little shit box of yours'll have enough power to pull me off of this thing!" She had piled all of the camping gear into Mallory's car to lighten her truck and make Mallory's car more stable. She shifted to reverse and looked behind her at her sister.  
  
"Ok, drive!" Broadway called through the window. The small town car behind her pulled and the ropes tightened between them. In front of her, Arthur, Seth, Luke, and Zeke were pushing as hard as they could. After about five minutes, they were successful and the Avalanche dislodged itself from the fallen tree. Broadway unhooked the two ropes from her sisters' car and a few minutes later she had moved the tree away from the exit and asked her family to leave her the hell alone for a few minutes. She sat down on her tailgate and rubbed her temples. She had the worst headache of all time and couldn't understand where it was coming from. She was stressed out, sure - who the hell wouldn't be, but stress never gave her headaches before. Through the foggy lenses of her pair of glasses she could see the ghost of Dennis and Jean lingering around Dana and Susana. Arthur was near his car assessing the damage and her siblings were huddled around Mallory. Royce, or his car, where nowhere to be seen and Broadway figure he had crossed over or 'phased' as Dennis had called it. She felt a mixture of fear and relief and tried to clear her head. The sound of his horrible cry was still echoing in her mind. She had been through a lot in her life and Broadway had experienced some horrid things, but nothing could compare to that. She shivered and wrapped her arms around herself for warmth, slowly coming to the realization that after this she and her family would probably need some hardcore therapy. For one reason or another, the thought made her giggle and she lay her head on her knees.  
  
She became suddenly aware of another presence and snapped her head up. Royce looked sideways at her and blinked slowly.  
  
"You're here?!"  
  
"Where else would I be?"  
  
"I don't know, where you're supposed to be!" She shot back. He cocked an eyebrow.  
  
"Oh, alrighty then. How about this, as soon as you find out where it is I'm supposed to be, give me a ring and I'll head right there!"  
  
"You don't know where you're supposed to go?"  
  
"No. I figure that I'm going to be earth bound forever. Think about it, if I was heading anywhere else, I would have gone straight there in the beginning right?" Broadway looked at him for a second.  
  
"How long have you been earth bound, Royce?" He shrugged.  
  
"What year is it?"  
  
"Uh..2003." He blinked at her again in mild disbelief.  
  
"Well, if that's the case, I've been earth bound for fifty years now. Jeez, half a century" He paused and chuckled. "I'm a fossil!"  
  
"Holy shit, fifty years? That means you died in.."  
  
"1953." He replied. They fell silent for a few moments. Royce studied the body of Broadway's Avalanche.  
  
"You really drive that thing?"  
  
"No, I stand behind it most of the time and push." She replied, a smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. She looked around."Where's your car?" He pointed behind her to where Arthur was standing. It was near by looking not as demolished as before. "I take it you're feeling better then?"  
  
"No, but the pain's a dull roar. I'm used to it like this." Another quiet moment passed.  
  
"Why won't you look at me?" She asked finally.  
  
"It's not a good idea." Royce replied quietly.  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"It just isn't."  
  
"Good answer, but I'm not satisfied." She hopped off the tailgate and tried to catch a glimpse of his face. Royce flickered out of sight and reappeared in her spot. Broadway sighed. "At least let me stop some of the bleeding? Let me patch you up?" He looked thoughtful for a minute.  
  
"Do what you want. You're good at that."  
  
"What's that supposed to mean?" She snapped.  
  
"Just that. You don't listen to people very often and you like to play with death." He retorted. She glared at him for a second before reaching into the glove box and returning with a first aid kit. Before he could protest she grabbed his chin and turned his head to face her. She looked closely at his torn flesh and wounds. He flinched and shut his eyes. After a pause, she let him go and opened the lid.  
  
"I've seen worse."  
  
"Liar." She shrugged and removed a large patch of gauze.  
  
"If you want to believe that, fine, be my guest. But considering you know nothing about me or what I've seen in my life, you should think twice before making such accusations." They locked eyes for a moment before Royce shrugged his jacket off his shoulders. It fell behind him and he extended his right arm out to her. Like most of his face it was shredded and torn beyond imagination. "What happened to you?"  
  
"I went flat out and stacked up my screamer." He replied absently. She raised an eyebrow.  
  
"You were in a drag?" He glanced up.  
  
"Yeah. Almost had it too." Broadway held up her hand to silence him for a sec and reached into Seth's bag. She produced a clean white t-shirt and tossed it at Royce.  
  
"You might want to take that off first. I can't dress your shoulder and with it on, plus, it's all bloody."  
  
"It'll white out once I heal. It always does."  
  
"Don't be a suck - I still won't be able to get at your shoulder." He sighed and reluctantly peeled the bloody article of clothing from his body and discarded it beside his jacket. It wasn't a pretty sight, but nothing Broadway couldn't handle. She wrapped the gauze around his arm and shoulder and secured it with a bit of clear tape. She moved onto his torso and stomach. She was intrigued - the wounds were strictly on the right side of his body; it was almost symmetrical, as if someone had drawn a line down the middle of his body before hand.  
  
Royce watched her with muted interest. He wasn't particularly comfortable sitting there half naked in the company of this strange girl but he wasn't complaining either. He watched as her hands gingerly worked the bandages smoothly over his abrasions and lesions. She was strong; he'd give her that. She didn't even flinch at his body when even Royce himself had a hard time looking at his reflection. He wondered what she was hiding in her memories that made her so immune to his injuries.  
  
"Why did you go at Kalina like that?" He asked. She stopped dressing his stomach and looked up.  
  
"Because you screamed." She replied shortly. "It was the most painful cry I've ever heard..I still have your voice echoing in my head. I've never heard someone cry out in pain like that before, I had to do something. I would have done the same thing for any of you." She tilted his head up and to the side and placed a large gauze pad over his skull, wrapping his face with bandages.  
  
"Why did you help me in the first place?" He ventured.  
  
"Because I saw the fear in your eyes." She taped up the last little bit of gauze and closed the first aid lid. "All done." Broadway smiled. "You look cute, kinda like something from an anime.'  
  
"A what?'  
  
"Never mind." She shook her head and watched Royce pull on the fresh shirt and slip his jacket on. He jumped off the back of her truck and shouldered his bat.  
  
"Thanks dolly." He murmured quickly before flickering out of sight. She felt her cheeks growing a little hot.  
  
"You're welcome, Prince." 


	9. Chapter 9

CHAPTER 9 - Leave it Behind  
  
Dennis clutched his head and fell to the ground. Even though he was dead, he was still psychic and therefore able to pick up on the thoughts of the people within his surroundings. Normally, they were too muffled or hard to hear clearly, but the conversation he heard within his head right at that moment couldn't have been clearer if someone was screaming it directly in his ear.  
  
"Let them leave, Kalina, we don't need them or the book. We still have the spells."  
  
"B-but, the spells have expired for these spirits! Once a ghost is set free, they become immune to the spells! We have to catch them right now-"  
  
"Kalina!! I said we don't need them. Your knowledge of the Arcanum is good enough."  
  
Dennis lurched with the force of another seizure and tried to hold on to his connection with Kalina and Cyrus for as long as he could. He needed to know what they were planning, but he was already losing them and the dialogue was broken.  
  
"If..an..ther..enough of them..fore..ust.kill them.urselves."  
  
"Are..ure..can..do..such a thing without..ave..those..ghosts?" Dana stood over Dennis and gave him a worried look.  
  
"What are they saying?" She demanded.  
  
"I don't really know, but I think they want to collect another twelve ghosts and try to open the Ocularis again." Jean narrowed her eyes.  
  
"They can do that without the Arcanum? How?"  
  
"Cyrus said that Kalina had more than enough knowledge of the Arcanum to find and collect the ghosts." He paused. "But..even if they can't, there's worse news..I think if they can't find ghosts they're going to try to do the same thing they did with Arthur. Kill the people themselves and make their own Black Zodiac."  
  
"They can't do that!" Susan snapped.  
  
"Why the hell not? There is nothing stopping Cyrus once he gains enough power to create another Black Zodiac." Dennis retorted sharply. The group fell silent for a while. Mallory bit her lip - the same way she always did when trying to come to a decision.  
  
"Look, we're supposed to be on vacation. We rented lodges just a short drive away from here. Would you all be safe there for the time being? We can't linger here any longer, anyway. Regardless what you decide, we have to get going now." She gestured at her brothers and sisters. Seth gave her a funny look. This was the last thing he'd have expected from Mallory of all people. He kind of saw this coming, but figured that Zeke or Broadway would have suggested it. Luke and Bianca just looked tired and scared. He didn't blame them, either. Arthur sighed deeply, looking at what was left of his car and shrugged his shoulders.  
  
"You kids should just go. You've been dragged into this and I'm sorry, but now is the time for you to back out and forget this ever happened."  
  
"I don't think we can do that." Mallory replied. She gestured at her siblings again. "We know what it's like to be left behind to fend for ourselves. We also know what it's like to have people reach out and do all they can to make it better. I think what I'm trying to say is, we're in this now, and we're in it until the end." Arthur nodded.  
  
"It seems to me you all have your stories, but I don't think I can allow you to get more involved than I already have." He looked at Jean for support.  
  
"We could never forgive ourselves if something happened to you all. You're good kids, your mothers and fathers would be proud."  
  
"My mother left me on the streets when I was seven years old to fend for myself." Broadway spat.  
  
"My father used to beat me every night until I cried blood." Seth added.  
  
"My parents locked me in the attic crawlspace for the first four years of my life." Luke said.  
  
Bianca took a step forward. "My mother used to give me doses of pesticide when I was a child to get attention from people."  
  
"My father left me in our apartment for three days when I was a child so he could go gambling with his friends. Mallory said softly. Zeke clenched his fists.  
  
"My father killed my mother before putting a bullet through his skull while I hid in the basement. A look of horror passed over Arthur and Jeans faces. "We only have our Matron, the one person who took us out of those god forsaken group homes when we were to messed up for anyone else. No other family would take us in except her." Zeke continued.  
  
"We're in this until it's over." Mallory said. Dana stepped forward and placed her icy hand on Seth's arm.  
  
"Thank you." She breathed.  
  
"I guess it's settled then. Lets get going." Arthur took one last look at the house and his car before climbing into the Malibu beside Mallory. The two cars screeched away leaving the house still and silent once more.  
  
~*~  
  
Broadway sat down on the edge of her bed and flopped backwards. They had finally made it to Brahms and checked into the Cranberry Lake Resort. She crossed her arms over her face and sighed deeply. The group had decided to take the rest of the day off to figure out where they were going to go from there. She jerked her head up when someone sat down on the edge of the bed beside her.  
  
"So what kind of a name is Broadway anyway?" Royce asked casually.  
  
"Fuck! Do you always come waltzing in to other people's rooms?" She snapped placing a hand over her heart. He shook his head.  
  
"Nah, only if they leave the door open a little." She noticed that he door was indeed a bit open. "I can split though, if you really want me to. I was just curious."  
  
"What kind of a name is Royce?" She retorted. "It's like Roll-"  
  
"Don't say it!!"  
  
Broadway smiled. "Rolls Royce!"  
  
"I hate you."  
  
"Good, then you'll get out of my room and leave me the hell alone!"  
  
"You didn't listen to me when I said to leave ME alone!"  
  
"I'm not about to be dragged to hell!"  
  
"That's not the point." He snapped.  
  
"Then reiterate and tell me what IS the point!" He opened his mouth to reply but said nothing, opting to look at the floor instead.  
  
"Broadway is the only name I've ever had. No last name, no middle name, just Broadway. I find it ironic in a sad way." Royce looked at her as she sat up to face him. "I mean, I grew up on the street and my name is Broadway. Har har. But what about you?"  
  
"What about me?"  
  
"Why did your parents name you Royce?" He looked thoughtful for a moment.  
  
"I don't know. I don't remember anything about my life."  
  
"Nothing at all?"  
  
"No. Not really. I can tell you everything about myself in five seconds, ready? Name's Royce, died in 1953, played ball, and went to Valley High."  
  
"That's all?" Broadway exclaimed. "You don't remember your last name, your moms name? Your dads name? How old you are?"  
  
"What, are you writing a book?" He sighed and shook his head slowly. "I used to, but those little details became so irrelevant after a while that I forgot them all. Though, I think I'm seventeen."  
  
"Me too. I'm the youngest of my siblings." Royce smiled.  
  
"You're also reckless, an odd ball, aggressive, mouthy, and stacked." His eyes grew wide and he looked at the floor. "I didn't mean the last part."  
  
"What the hell is that supposed to mean? What the shit is stacked?!"  
  
"Think fast, Royce" He thought. "Stacked..? Uh..thoughtful!"  
  
(A/N - you can find a listing of all of Royce's slang in the next few chapters ^^)  
  
"What do you mean I'm not thoughtful then?" Broadway demanded.  
  
"Nothing! Will you cool it?" Broadway fixed him with an irritated look and lay back down.  
  
"I don't have time to bicker with you, Prince." She yawned. "I'm going to catch some Z's. Is the origin of my name the only thing you came her to inquire about? Prince..? Royce..?" She opened her eyes and peered around. He was nowhere to be seen. Something on the bed glinted with the last rays of the sun and she picked it up, bringing it close to her face. It was a key. "He must have dropped this." She thought. Broadway unclipped the back of her necklace and ran the chain through the hole at the bottom of the key. "Klutz." She rolled over to where the sun wouldn't be shining right in her face and drifted off to sleep.  
  
~*~  
  
"He spends a lot of time by her, don't you think, Dana?"  
  
"Jealous, Susan? Come on, she saved his ass TWICE. Maybe he's just curious as to why she would do something like that."  
  
"Because she has the hots for him. That's why, I'll bet you any money!"  
  
"Oh yeah, I'm sure she's the kind of girl who goes for those dead, half shredded eligible bachelors! Come on!"  
  
"What if HE has the hots for her?"  
  
"Will you STOP being paranoid! You're acting like the two of you are an item - which IF I may point out you are not. Susan, I think you're acting ridiculous."  
  
"What are you two gals bickering about now?"  
  
"Nothing Prince."  
  
"Not a thing Prince."  
  
(A/N - Thank you to my wonderful reviewers - I couldn't keep the story going without your support! **hugs** I think that from chapter 10-12 I'm going to work more on the relationship developments of the characters. It's not just a Royce/Broadway, but I'm thinking a Seth/Dana maybe. ^-^ Any input would be greatly appreciated ^^) 


	10. Chapter 10

CHAPTER 10 - Bitter Tears  
  
Arthur took a long sip of coffee and looked about the room. Peering back at him were six adolescents and five ghosts. He rubbed his face with both hands and sighed. "So, what are we going to do? We have to put a stop to everything, permanently."  
  
"How do you kill someone who's already dead?" Seth waved his hands in an exasperated gesture.  
  
"I've been reading through the Arcanum and I have some good news and bad news." Jean replied. "The bad news is, we have no choice but to allow Cyrus to open the Ocularis. It's the only way we CAN kill him. He must be cast into Hell in order for things to return back to normal."  
  
"So what was the good news?" Dennis interrupted.  
  
"That was it. We have the ability and know-how to end this, we just have to wait." Mallory stood up.  
  
"Wait a minute - are you telling us that we have to wait for this psycho to kill twelve innocent people in order to destroy two ghosts?" Jean shook her head.  
  
"No, there's more good news, but it's tricky. Like us, Cyrus and Kalina can't kill anyone directly or else they are sent straight to Hell. I don't think either of them knows this. If that's the case, as soon as they take an innocent life they're straight to Hell without a second glance."  
  
"But that still requires someone to be sacrificed! That's not fair - there has to be something we can do!" Broadway said, equally as distraught as her sister. Jean shrugged her shoulders.  
  
"That's all that I could make out from the text. I know how horrible that sounds but I really don't know what else to do about it. The only way that Cyrus and Kalina can be stopped is if the take an innocent life, or is able to open the Ocularis with another thirteen ghosts and is cast in himself. Either way, someone is going to have to die."  
  
"But why? Why thirteen ghosts? You said that there were twelve of you trapped in that house-"  
  
"The thirteenth ghost is known as the Sacrifice of the Broken Heart. It must be a willing human sacrifice. That was why Arthur was essentially called to the house in the first place, Cyrus and Kalina tried to use our children as bait and get him to kill himself to activate the Ocularis." Jean explained. Broadway shook her head impatiently.  
  
"This is fucking retarded." She sat down on the couch heavily and chewed on her fingernails. "There's got to be another way."  
  
"Maybe there is - I mean, wouldn't a suicide be considered a willing sacrifice?" Seth asked. Dana looked at the floor.  
  
"No."  
  
"..No?"  
  
"No, the death must occur inside the house." She replied in her breathy voice. Seth cringed.  
  
"Fuck. We're running out of options here! How long do you think they have before they can leave the house?"  
  
"Not nearly long enough. I'd give them a week or so." Jean replied. Arthur nodded.  
  
"Good, that means we have a week to think of something else."  
  
"It might also be in our best interests to keep our eyes and ears open to the news and note any deaths that have occurred recently. If we can find the potential ghosts before Cyrus and Kalina, we'll be one step ahead of them." Dennis added.  
  
"I guess that means meeting adjourned." Arthur stood up and nodded at the group. "I'm going to head into town and grab a few things." Mallory stood up.  
  
"I'll give you a lift, I'm heading that way too. We need food and things of the sort." Dennis watched her stand up and walk gracefully across the room. Her hips moved in a perfect little axis as she walked and her steps didn't make a sound. He tore his eyes off her and shook his head a little. Broadway removed the glasses from her face and rubbed her eyes.  
  
"I'm going to go take a shower."  
  
"Good, you could use it, Squirt!" Seth joked, punching her lightly in the arm.  
  
"Hey Freak, you're no fucking rose yourself." She hit him back a little harder. He raised an eyebrow and gave her a little shove.  
  
"What was that?  
  
"You heard me." She shot back with another hard shove.  
  
"You want to make something out of it?"  
  
"With you, it won't be much now will it?" Seth frowned and hit her in the shoulder.  
  
"You're a big talker! Lets see what you've got!" Broadway dodged another punch and kicked him hard in the back of the knee before connecting his stomach with her fist. He countered with a shot to the abdomen and to the solar plexus. Luke rolled his eyes and advanced forward.  
  
"Not again!"  
  
"Do they fight often!?" Jean asked mildly startled.  
  
"Does a bear shit in the woods?" he replied. "Come on shit-heads, break it up!" By that time, the two of them were going right at it. Although Seth was much bigger and stronger, he didn't have six years of living on the streets as fighting experience. Broadway gave Seth another shot in the chest and jaw. He countered with a hard hit to the side of the face sending her sprawling backwards just enough for Zeke and Luke to interject and separate he two.  
  
"Cut it out, both of you - must you make a fight out of everything?" Zeke yelled, struggling to keep his sister back. Seth shook his head and shrugged Luke off of him.  
  
"Nah, only once and a while, right bitch?"  
  
"You got it cock-sucker." Broadway replied throwing her brother off of her shoulders. Mallory and Bianca exchanged tired glances and made for the door.  
  
"Last call if you're coming downtown." Mallory called.  
  
"I'm staying here." Seth called over his shoulder. He headed from the private lounge to his room and shut the door tightly. Zeke and Luke - who were pretty much inseparable - joined their sisters at the door. Zeke looked back.  
  
"Coming Broddy?"  
  
"Shit no - have fun! I'll be here working on me baby." She tossed her head in the direction of the garage and winked.  
  
"Have fun then."  
  
"Oh, I will."  
  
~*~  
  
"Fucking COLD!" She hurriedly wrapped one of the fluffy white towels around her body and shivered. Broadway glared at her reflection in the foggy mirror and toweled her hair until it stopped dripping. Her cheek was a little red but not too badly damaged from Seth. She shook her head and ran a brush through her long dark hair, which looked almost black because it was wet. She pulled on a clean black t-shirt and jeans and secured her favorite silver studded belt over her hips. She exited the bathroom into her room and tied the laces of her tall black boots. Broadway reached for her necklace but stopped, her eyes falling on the worn key that hung from the chain next to a small charm. She fixed the piece of jewelry around her neck and cocked her head to one side. She could hear music floating into her room from outside, but something was odd about it. It sounded staticy and soft, like it was coming from one of those really old radios, and she figured it was coming from an old couple out on their patio, enjoying an anniversary. Her fingers found the key again and Broadway remembered that she had to return it to Royce, assuming it was his and he did drop it. She reached into the side drawer and removed the glasses Dennis had given her the day before. She placed then on her back pocket and made her way to the garage.  
  
It was a beautiful day, the kind where only ginormous clouds that resemble confectioners' sugar interrupted the blue sky. As she approached the large, two-story garage the music steadily got louder and she could make out the distinct voice of Elvis. She peered around to where the music was loudest, but didn't see anything. Broadway placed the glasses on her nose and scanned the area once more. She made her way to the bottom floor to where her Avalanche was parked and caught her breath in her chest. It was Royce, ad it was his car that was making the music. In the dim light, she could make out his figure bent over the hood of his car, which had been completely restored. He had his back to her, but Broadway could hear him whistling softly to the tune. She crept closer, trying to make the last amount of noise possible. His jacket was draped over the open window and his bat was resting on the passenger seat. She grinned and walked closer and closer.  
  
"Number 47 said to Number 3, 'You're the cutest jailbird I ever did see. I sure would be delighted with your company, so come on and do the jail-house rock with me!' Lets rock!"  
  
Broadway tiptoed up behind him and gave Royce a gentle nudge with her hip. He let out a short cry and brought his head up fast, effectively banging it against the hood of his car. She covered her mouth with her hand to stifle her giggles as he turned to face her.  
  
"Broadway! What are you doing down here?" The tape that was holding his bandages became a little loose and the fell slightly over his face. He looked up disparagingly. "Ah cripes.."  
  
"Here' She reached her hand up and fixed the tape. "Better?"  
  
"Yeah." Royce rubbed the back of his head roughly. "I hate it when that happens."  
  
"Me too." Broadway replied. Her hands fell to the chain around her neck once more and she grasped the key. "Oh! Here, you left this in my room last night." He lifted the key and the charm and examined it closely.  
  
"I was wondering where this went." He replied. "What's this?"  
  
"My charm? It's just a good luck charm, nothing really." She stroked the silver design with her finger and smiled to herself. "I never go anywhere without this on. It's a biohazard symbol. Reminds me of my personality."  
  
"Why would you say that?"  
  
"No reason, I just would." She replied. Royce dropped the chain and shook his head.  
  
"Such an odd ball." He mumbled. Broadway frowned.  
  
"Get bent!" She retorted removing the chain and removing the key. Royce grinned lopsidedly held his hand out. She dropped the key in and ran her hand over the body of his Hot Rod. "She's beautiful."  
  
"Yes she is. Too bad she let me down right when I needed her the most." Royce replied bitterly. Broadway turned to face him again.  
  
"Royce, what really happened?" He paused and shrugged.  
  
"I went-"  
  
"Flat out and stacked up your screamer, I know. But what REALLY happened." She interjected. Royce stared at her for a moment and dropped his eyes.  
  
"I wanted too much. I had all I could ever ask for; I was popular, had alright grades, I was going to get a scholarship for my athletics, but I was greedy. I wanted to have the title of fastest car, so I challenged the top greaser for a drag. I thought it would be a blast, my hottie could really move! But something went wrong..I didn't break in time and I was really going flat out - as fast as I could go. I missed a turn and totaled my car. I don't know how many times it flipped before.." He paused and shook his head. Broadway lay a hand on his shoulder and looked down.  
  
"I'm sorry, Prince. I shouldn't have asked."  
  
"Nah, it's alright. Sometimes, it's better not to forget some things. Keeps everything in perspective." Royce glanced down at his bandaged body. "But, it never stopped hurting. I was even in the newspapers; worst accident to hit Valley High in years!" He cast her a sad look. "But, they also said I died on impact." He shook his head. "If only. I lay up in that wreck for seven minutes while the fire and twisted metal tore at my body. I screamed for seven minutes and no one came to help me..not one person had the decency to come and get me out of there and they could have!" Royce frowned and clenched his jaw. "The Arcanum calls for the spirits of twelve tortured and enraged ghosts and one sacrifice. They caught me and placed me in the cell of the Torn Prince, when all I wanted to do was find the people who didn't help me and make them suffer the way I did! But I couldn't and I had no one to take the anger out on except myself." Broadway stepped back and bit her lip. Royce was acting differently and it scared her. She couldn't forget that he was dead and there wasn't anyone around to help her if he tried to hurt her.  
  
"Royce! Calm down, it's over now!"  
  
"It's not over! It won't be over until I find them!"  
  
"And be sent to Hell? Is that really what you want?"  
  
"I don't care where I go as long as they get what's coming to them!" He took a step forward and grabbed her arm. His grip was cold and as hard as steel. She yelped and tried to wrench away. He brought her close to him and glared into her eyes. "Don't forget who I am - I AM the Torn Prince."  
  
"No you're not! You're Royce!"  
  
I WAS Royce! Royce is dead, I'm all that is left of him."  
  
"Will you snap out of it! Royce, you're hurting me!" Something began to burn its' way through the front of his shirt. It was a symbol of some sort, and it was made from blood seeping through his bandages. He winced and tightened his grip on Broadway's wrist. She cried out again and grabbed face with her free hand. "Royce, listen to me! That isn't you! I know who you are!" He brought her closer and brushed his lips against hers.  
  
"How about this dolly, when I let you go, I'll give you thirty seconds before I come after you. You can be my practice victim. What do you say?" Before Broadway could scream the space behind Royce flickered and Dana shimmered into view. She brought her knife up and drove it roughly into Royce's shoulder. He called out in pain and dropped his hold on Broadway. Dana grabbed her by the arm.  
  
"Come on!" She dragged Broadway to her feet and out of the garage. She made a symbol with her hands and it flashed on Royce's chest and car.  
  
When they were safe in Broadway's room Dana let her go. Broadway sobbed softly and plopped down on her bed.  
  
"It wasn't Royce's fault, you know." She looked at Dana quizzically. "Royce always answers 'I went flat out and stacked up my screamer' because it isn't the direct story." The ghost continued. Broadway sniffed.  
  
"What..?"  
  
"Rule number one - don't ever ask a ghost how they died or else they go into flashbacks and spaz out like Royce just did. It brings out all he pain that makes us tormented spirits and turns us violent. He probably wasn't even aware that it was you he was threatening. All he knows is anger and hatred when in that state."  
  
"And it's all my fault."  
  
"How were you to know? It's not like we come with instruction booklets." Dana replied. "You don't have to worry, I put my seal on him. He's not going anywhere until he cools off." Broadway nodded.  
  
"How did you know?"  
  
"Susan." She responded. "She's jealous of you. She saw Royce go into the garage and then you a short time after. When you didn't come out after a while, she started flipping out so I went to investigate. I could pick up on the vibes down there and knew what was going on."  
  
"Thanks." Broadway paused. "Jealous? Why is Susan jealous of me?"  
  
"Because Prince pays more attention to you then he does her. Susan is dead for a reason, jealous boyfriend found her on prom night in the arms of his best friend. Needless to say, he didn't take it too well and a week later the found her body under the football field goal line. She's a good girl, she just wants every guy she lays eyes on, dead or alive."  
  
"She has a crush on Royce?"  
  
"Of course. And who wouldn't? He's a babe when you get him at the right angle." Broadway remained silent and looked at her wrist. Royce's finger marks were still apparent, the red a bright contrast against her porcelain skin. She felt her lip quiver and she looked away. Dana placed her arm around her shoulder. "Royce didn't want to hurt you, Broadway. Just give it some time." She removed the glasses from her face and felt the pressure leave her shoulders. Dana whispered something just barely audible and the room returned to its normal temperature. Broadway sighed deeply and pushed back the tears that burned just behind her eyes. She reached around her neck and searched for the chain that brought her so much comfort. She fingers brushed against her bare neck only. Panic rose in her throat and she franticly searched her neck and bed for her charm. She came up empty and nothing could stop the tears from flowing from her eyes. She threw herself face down on her pillow and wept bitterly for the rest of the afternoon. 


	11. Chapter 11

CHAPTER 11 - Midnight Encounters  
  
Royce slowly opened his eyes and picked himself off of the garage floor. His head ached and his shirt had fresh bloodstains on it. His car sat still silent beside him and he shook his head slightly. The bandages fell out of place again and draped themselves over his face haphazardly. He shoved them out of his eyes and leaned against the body of his car. Royce looked down at his shirt and muffled a cry. The sign of the Torn Prince had bled through and Dana's Angry Princess mark had burned itself onto the fabric. He clutched his head and shoulder as the memories of the afternoon flooded into his skull. He looked around in a panicked gesture.  
  
"Broadway? Broadway!" He called her name, only to have his voice echo it back off the walls. Something glinted at his feet and he bent to retrieve it. It was her silver chain and good luck charm. Royce punched the side of his car and let out an exasperated cry. He pocketed the trinket and grabbed his jacket, pulling the knife out of his back proved to be a hassle, but he slid it from his body and tossed his jacket on. When he emerged from the depths of the parking garage it was well past sunset. Everything was silent, except for the sounds of crickets chirping and the winds through the leaves. He phased into the lodge and searched around for anyone. Dana was leaning against the wall looking mildly pissed off.  
  
"Where is she?"  
  
"Broadway? In her room, the last place you're going, prince." She replied stepping out to block his path.  
  
"I need to see her!" Royce protested. Dana wrenched the knife from his grasp and wiped his blood off the blade with the end of her towel.  
  
"That's not a good idea. Not tonight - may I remind you that you almost killed her? You could have screwed things over for ALL of us, Royce!"  
  
"You know just as well as I do that I didn't mean too - she asked! I couldn't help it!"  
  
"She knows that now, but that doesn't change the fact that if you go in there now she's going to be terrified of you." Royce sighed and slumped against the wall.  
  
"Where is everyone else?"  
  
"In their rooms. No one else knows if that's what you're wondering. Broadway told them that she wasn't feeling well and that she was going to go to bed early. Jean is with Arthur, Dennis is..I don't care where he is so I don't know and Susan is floating around here somewhere." Dana kneeled down beside him and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Prince, just trust me on this one. You can talk to her tomorrow."  
  
"I just want to apologize somehow, and I need to give her this." He pulled the necklace out of his pocket and held it up to Dana. She rubbed her temples and sighed slowly.  
  
"You have one minute, okay? One minute before I go in there and seal your toasted ass." He nodded and phased past her and down the hallway. He paused outside Broadway's door and knocked softly. There was no reply so he phased through the door and into the darkness of her dorm. It took a few moments to get used to the darkness but he could make out her sleeping form and hear her soft breathing. He made his way to her bed and kneeled by her side. A few strands of hair had fallen onto her face and he reached up and brushed them back.  
  
"Broadway..? Can you hear me?" Royce whispered. Her brow furrowed but she remained asleep. He pushed the fallen bandages from his eyes again and tucked the necklace into her hand. She sighed quietly and her fingers closed around his. Royce stiffened and gazed at her hand. It was so warm, her entire body was warm. He remembered how frail she had felt in his hands and shuddered. The things he was prepared to do to her, the way he was going to kill her without a second thought. But then, another thought trickled into his mind; the way he had accidentally brushed his lips against hers. The thought made him tremble slightly and he reluctantly removed his hand from hers. Royce frowned and shook his head, forbidding himself to feel like that. He was dead. Dead, dead, dead. Broadway was nothing more than a mortal girl who had stumbled upon the glass house and happened to have a higher regard for people's lives. He paused mid-thought and remembered what she had done for him the previous day. She had saved him, not once, but twice before she knew his name, before she knew his past. She had possessed enough decency to reach out and save Royce when everyone else could only watch in mute horror. She had done the one thing he hated everyone else for NOT doing. He looked at her sleeping face again and the way her eyes moved behind their lids. He wondered what she was dreaming and hoped that he wasn't plaguing her nightmares. Royce reached out his hand and cupped her cheek. Even through the bandages he could feel the warmth of her flesh. Something shimmered behind him and Dana fixed him with a stern look.  
  
"I was feeling generous so I gave you two minutes, now get moving." She whispered. Royce withdrew his hand and phased out into the parking lot. The Princess followed him. "You're getting too close." She muttered. Royce picked up a large stone and self pitched it to himself. His bat made a loud cracking noise as the stone disappeared over the tree line.  
  
"I don't know what you're talking about Dana." He replied a little too monotonously.  
  
"Don't be a shit, you do so. Don't forget what you are Prince. We can't forget that we're ghosts. If you got to close to her, you would only end up hurting yourselves in the end. She's not going to purgatory with you-"  
  
"Who says that's where I'm heading? Dana, if we were heading anywhere at ALL, don't you think that we would be there already? Ghosts are earth bound FROEVER! We're not going to Heaven or Hell or Purgatory! We're going to be trapped in this world forever, why? Because we're ghosts." Royce snapped, pitching another stone to himself. Dana shook her head.  
  
"We don't know that, Prince. Maybe we're just late or something. It's still not a good idea to get to close to a mortal..I'm pretty sure there are laws against that anyway." She added, giggling a bit to herself. He shot a look at her over his shoulder but said nothing. He swung at another stone and sent it hurdling into the blackness. "Still got it in you." Dana commented.  
  
"Why do you care so much Dana?"  
  
"About Broadway and you? Because I think she's a good girl and you're a good guy Prince, and I don't want to see either of you hurt any more than you already do."  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Yes really! What's that tone for?" Royce struck another stone and turned to look at her.]  
  
"Because the more you talk, the more it sounds like you're trying to convince yourself of something. Like you're trying to convince yourself rather than me that falling for a mortal is a bad idea." Dana flushed pink.  
  
"Well, no, see that's wrong.." She stumbled over her words and fidgeted with the end of her towel. Royce placed a hand under her chin and met her eyes.  
  
"Dana, look at it this way, if we're going to be trapped on earth forever, and we might have met a person who can make it a little more bearable - even for a moment or two - then why in the hell would you throw that away?" He raised an eyebrow at her before flickering and disappearing. Dana pushed her hair behind her ear and sighed.  
  
"Because maybe I don't want to lose anyone anymore."  
  
~*~ 


	12. Authors Note

Authors Note - sorry guys! I know I haven't been updating as furiously as usual, but I'm up to me arse in exams and ISU's and art projects, but I promise that I'll get around to updating ASAP. In the meantime (for Tatum) I wrote a fluffy little L/S fic ^-^ hugs to all Summer break is coming up and I'll have all the time in the world to update and complete me ficcies. Talk to you soon,  
  
~ LoKi 


	13. Chapter 12

CHAPTER 12 - Swimming with Mallory  
  
Mallory sighed deeply and closed the door softly behind her. It was the second day that Broadway had locked herself in her room, claiming to be ill, but Mallory knew better. Something was bothering her sister, and Broadway almost never spoke of these things out loud. She slumped against the back of the leather sofa in the private lounge and rubbed her eyes with her knuckles. Mallory thought about the situation and tried to find some sort of connection. Maybe Broadway was just stressed out, and rightfully so. She had risked her life a few days earlier for someone she didn't know. For someone who wasn't even alive. Come to think of it, Mallory hadn't seen the Prince around for the past couple days, not since she had left with Arthur for the town of Brahms and she couldn't help but wonder if something had happened with him to frighten Broadway away from everyone.  
  
Mallory was so deep in thought she didn't sense the sudden temperature change in the room until the couch cushions beside her sank below an unseen weight. She yelped and sat up quickly placing a hand over her heart.  
  
"Relax, I'm not going to eat you." A voice replied irritably  
  
"..Dennis? What are you doing here?"  
  
"I could feel your thought waves and I wanted to see what was bothering you. It's not everyday I get something as strong as these." The psychic said calmly. Mallory sat back down and smiled a little.  
  
"People who wouldn't know any better would think I'm crazy. It must look as though I'm talking to myself!" Dennis chuckled  
  
"I guess tonight was a good night for me to become a naturalist then?"  
  
"Whatever!" Mallory shot back. It was almost a playful gesture. There was a moment of silence between the two that seemed to last forever. She shifted her weight and sighed. "I wish I knew what was going on with my sister."  
  
"Broadway? Teenagers go through the dirty-angry kid stage, just let her vent it out."  
  
"Oh come on - that's not it! I really think that she's going through some sort of delayed trauma from the whole house incident. I've never seen her act like this, save from when we first brought her home. She locked herself in the attic for, gosh, I don't know how many days. Refused to eat or talk to anyone. I just wish I knew what was going through her head right now." Dennis sighed.  
  
"She's feeling guilt and fear right now. I can't tell you why, but that's what I've been picking up from her lately."  
  
"You can feel people?"  
  
"Yeah, all the time. Just by looking at them I can tell what they're thinking or feeling." He smiled. "It's one of the cooler things about being a freak." Mallory frowned.  
  
"You're not a freak, Dennis, I think you have a beautiful gift."  
  
"Beautiful? Beautiful! If I touch anyone, even for a second I go into seizures! I can see a person's entire life flash before my eyes in five seconds, everything lie they've told, everything they've done, or had done to them - some 'beautiful gift' indeed!" Dennis shot back fiercely. Mallory opened her mouth to reply but looked at the ground instead. Blame washed over her features like a wave and she got up suddenly.  
  
"I'm sorry Dennis, I shouldn't have said anything. Goodnight-"  
  
"No wait!" He stood and blocked her way, forgetting that she couldn't see him. Mallory stepped against him and all of her thoughts rushed into Dennis' mind. He shook violently and grasped for something to steady himself, finding only the doorway. The smaller girl cried out again and stepped back. She stuck her hands in her sleeves and reached out to where Dennis had blocked her path. Her clothed hands found his shoulder and she rubbed it gently.  
  
"Dennis? Dennis, can you hear me, are you alright?"  
  
"Yes..I'm..I'm okay. I forget you couldn't see me." Mallory got up to leave again. "Wait, don't leave, yet. Look, I didn't mean to freak out on you like that. I guess I'm just not too good with compliments." Dennis studied her features. They softened and Mallory yawned.  
  
"Alright Dennis, I'll stay here for a little bit more, but I have to get some sleep. It's almost ten."  
  
~*~  
  
Broadway's stomach grumbled again, though by that time she was beginning to get used to the sick feeling within it. She clutched the necklace tightly in her hand, the sweat making the charm hot and clammy. She had woken up yesterday morning and found it tangled with her fingers. The thought brought the sting of fresh tears to her eyes. Broadway cursed again and shook her head, checking the clock at her side table.  
  
"Ten." She thought distantly. Broadway knew that she wasn't going to sleep again tonight, whether it was because she was hungry or bored, or scared, she wasn't going to sleep. The wind blew through her open window and she caught the faint scent of chlorine from the lodge swimming pool. Broadway grinned and rummaged through her clothing until she found her bathing suit. Changing quickly, she grabbed a towel and headed down the hall, pausing when she caught sight of movement in the private lounge. Mallory was sitting on the couch by herself, though her quiet voice carried into the hallway. Broadway took a step forward and peered into the room. It was empty.  
  
"Mallory..? Who are you talking to?"  
  
"Broadway!? I'm..just myself. I've been worried about you - are you alright."  
  
"Peachy. Look, I'm going for a swim, wanna come? The pool closes at eleven so I thought I'd go for the hour." Mallory smiled and nodded as if she was excusing herself from someone.  
  
"Yeah sure, just give me a minute to change, ok?"  
  
"Fine, I'll meet you out there. Don't take forever." Mallory gave her a small wave and Broadway continued down the hall and out onto the patio. The water was still and dark, the stars leaving their small dotted reflections on the surface. Broadway dropped the towel on the deck and gracefully dove into the water. Swimming was her favorite sport and she was a multiple award winner on the school swimming team. The temperature hit her like a smack in the face, though Broadway imagined it as a goddess slipping about her body and banishing away all the hurt and the pain she had felt the last few days. When she surfaced, Mallory was sitting on the deck casually, her feet dangling in the water.  
  
"Hey - come on it, the water's great!" Broadway teased. Her sister shook her head slowly.  
  
"No thanks, I'm fine right here." She paused. "Broadway, what's going on with you? Be honest - you haven't been yourself lately, I'm worried - everyone's worried. Have you eaten yet?"  
  
"Yeah." Broadway lied, not particularly wanting to get into the subject, especially with Mallory. She would have them packed and back home in two seconds if she found out that Royce had attacked Broadway, and something told her that they needed to stick this out. "I just haven't been feeling well lately. I've been having some anxiety attacks and stuff." Mallory regarded her sister momentarily before slipping into the water.  
  
"Okay, as long as it's that. I'm worried about you - you've been acting recklessly that past few days."  
  
"I just did what I thought was right back there - there's no need to go all spazzy on me."  
  
"I wasn't going all 'spazzy' on you, Broadway! Just try to look at things from my point of view- we stumble upon this..this house of ghosts and your first instinct is to make nice with one of them!?"  
  
"He was going to die!"  
  
"He's already dead!!" Broadway fixed her sister with the coldest stare she could muster.  
  
"It was the human thing to do, Mallory. When I was on the streets people helped each other out - even if it looked like they were already dead." There was a moment of silence between the two girls. Finally Mallory cast her a sideways glance.  
  
"Where did Royce get those bandages then?" The younger girl dipped her head under the cold water and swam back a few strokes.  
  
"He was bleeding. I had to stop it." She replied when she resurfaced.  
  
"Whatever." Mallory murmured. She reached for the side of the pool and hoisted herself out. "I think there's something else."  
  
"I think you should shut the fuck up."  
  
"Ah-HA! I totally hit a nerve, didn't I? It's true then - there's methods behind your madness?"  
  
"Go away Mallory, I'm not kidding. There's no 'methods behind my madness' either. I just-"  
  
"Just what?" Mallory cut her off, placing a hand on her hip. "Just saw something in him that no one else did?" Her words hit Broadway's soul and memories of the garage flooded her skull like the water from the pool. In one swift motion she had swam to the edge of the pool and lifted herself out of the water to stand next to Mallory.  
  
"Get away, Mallory. Get away from me right now. You don't know what you're talking about and it's pissing me off."  
  
"Whatever, Broadway, I was only teasing you. You don't have to freak out on me all the time." Mallory said evenly.  
  
"Not everything can be taken as a joke, you know." The taller girl shrugged her shoulders and disappeared into the cottage. Broadway grabbed her towel and secured it around her body, not particularly wanting to go back inside. Something caught her eye and she knelt by the ground for a better look. "What the fuck..?" Imprinted on the deck of the pool were fresh footprints, but they looked as if they had been made with shoes, and not by Mallory or herself. She studied the path they made and felt anxiety knot into her throat. After five or six paces, they disappeared - not gradually faded as if they had evaporated, they had just stopped. Broadway studied the pathway and the how the footprints had the same cocky sway that someone else she knew had. Broadway pulled her jeans on over her bikini bottoms and tossed the towel over he shoulder. She had to settle things once and for all - and she headed to the parking garage. 


	14. Chapter 13

CHAPTER 13 - Hypocrisy.  
  
Broadway crept silently through the rows of cars and trucks until she came to the bottom level of the garage. She surveyed the area for any sign of Royce, then realized with dismay that her glasses were on the end table in her room.  
  
"Shit." She cursed under her breath and kept her senses open for any indication that the Prince was close. A cold draft floated towards her and she swallowed the ball of cotton in her throat. "Prince..?" Her voice came out as a harsh whisper and she decided to try again. "Prince? Are you here?" She sounded a bit more courageous this time. Broadway took another tentative step forward and cleared her throat. "Please, Royce..talk to me." Broadway sounded more desperate than she was intending and hoped that she didn't seem weak to him - if Royce was there.  
  
Another cold wave hit her face and goose bumps surged down her arms. Broadway listened again for anything that would give away Royce's position but all she could hear was the sound of her breathing and her heart within her chest. Shaking her head, she turned and headed back towards the exit.  
  
"You shouldn't come near me." The Prince's voice rang out in the still silence of the garage and echoed off the walls. Broadway whirled around in the direction of his voice hoping to catch a glimpse of him, but all she saw was the empty space beside her truck.  
  
"Royce - I can't see you. Where are you?"  
  
"Don't make me repeat myself." He replied coldly. Broadway frowned.  
  
"Oh, come off it - it's a bit too late to be playing the tough guy now."  
  
"Is it really?" His voice sounded closer. Broadway swallowed again.  
  
"Royce, please..why won't you let me talk to you?"  
  
"Don't be stupid! I almost killed you!!"  
  
"That wasn't your fault!"  
  
"Yes it was, I can't keep making excuses!"  
  
"It's not an excuse, it's the truth. I know you wouldn't hurt me." Her towel dropped from her shoulders, but she made no attempt to pick it up. Broadway had to stay alert this time. She felt the space behind her move, causing shivers to form along her wet back.  
  
"You don't know that, dolly."  
  
"Yes I do, Prince. You would have done it already - way before if you really wanted to." There was a moment of silence.  
  
"I can't afford to lose control again, Broadway. I can't afford to hurt anyone. That's why I need you to stay away from me." Royce's voice came from in front of her. Broadway looked at the ground.  
  
"Well maybe I don't want you to stay away from me."  
  
"But I thought that there weren't any 'methods to your madness' or that you didn't see something special in me." Royce sounded bitter, the same tone he used before.  
  
"So you WERE listening? Why were you out there?!"  
  
"No reason, I just was." He replied shortly. Broadway tossed her arms out in an exaggerated gesture.  
  
"Great answer!" Her fingers brushed against something cool and soft. It felt like leather. She took another step forward and grabbed the unseen fabric of Royce's jacket. He pulled away immediately and made a soft noise of protest. "I'm not afraid of you Royce." She felt something under her chin and her head was tilted upwards.  
  
"Look dolly, I see where this is heading and it's not good. Do you understand what you're getting yourself into? How many times do I have to tell you this isn't a game?"  
  
"How many times do I have to tell YOU that I'm not a child?! I can make decisions on my own-"  
  
"This isn't about the house, and you know it." Broadway fell silent and bit her lip. "There can't be anything here, you understand? I tried to think otherwise but there just can't. I'm dead Broadway, you have to understand that." The shorter girl pulled free of his light grasp and clutched the necklace around her neck.  
  
"So this is how it ends? You're going to ignore me and stay away from me until all this is over and for what? I know you're dead Royce, I can see that and I can fee that. But I also know that there's something about you that you don't want others to know - maybe because you're afraid of it or maybe because you want to protect yourself." Broadway tucked a lock of damp hair behind her ear. "But it's like you said - if you could find someone to make life on earth bearable, even for a moment, why would you throw it all away?"  
  
"Who told you that?"  
  
"Dana did. But I guess that doesn't mean much to you anymore, now does it?" Broadway snapped.  
  
"Broadway.." Royce's voice was soft and quiet in the stillness of the garage. She felt him move close to her again but she backed away.  
  
"Don't, Royce. This is all messed up - forget I ever came down here in the first place."  
  
"That's the problem - I can't!! I can't forget about you, Broadway! I can't forget the fire I your eyes when you pushed past me to get to the basement to save me, or the way you looked at me for what I've become when even I can't! Royce paused. "But I also can't forget the way you looked when I lost it. It was like I saw you and knew who you were but couldn't stop myself. I couldn't help it, and I can't let that happen again." Broadway blinked back the sting of tears and took another step towards the exit.  
  
"You're a hypocrite!"  
  
"And you're a liar!" Royce tossed back, hurt rising in his voice.  
  
"That's not true and you know it!"  
  
"Neither am I being a hypocrite!"  
  
"You say one thing to Dana but something completely different to me - that sounds like a hypocrite!" Broadway shouted. Royce clenched his fist.  
  
"Well then what's the difference between what I'm doing and what you just did up there with your sister?"  
  
"Look Prince, I want to help you - I want to help all of you. If I didn't, I wouldn't have risked my life back at the house! But if my sister knew about anything I may feel or rather HAD felt about you or anyone else, she would have us packed up and as far away from you all as possible before daylight broke! She wouldn't understand..you don't even understand!!"  
  
"You're the one who doesn't understand, dolly! Dana was right -I was getting too close, but how could I not? You were the first person who looked at me as..as anything but a ghost! I didn't understand you, and I wanted to - but before I could THAT happened and it made me realize that I couldn't get any closer, no matter how much I might have wanted!" Royce said pleadingly. Broadway rubbed her eyes and shook her head, sighing lightly.  
  
"Fine, you're right. If that's what you want to hear, I'll leave you alone and stay away from you."  
  
"It's not what I want, it's how it's gotta be." Broadway felt something soft and cool lay against her cheek. She reached up and her fingers traced over the smooth fabric of gauze bandages. She followed the hand to the arm and to the shoulder until she too found the side of the Prince's face. She felt him jerk away slightly before laying his face in her hand. "I'm sorry, dolly."  
  
"Me too, Prince." Broadway removed her hand and bent to retrieve her towel. "I'll see you around though, right?" Royce sighed.  
  
"Yeah.." She nodded and made her way to the exit.  
  
"I wish I could have seen you, Royce."  
  
The Prince watched her leave wordlessly before reaching up his hand to touch the place she had lay her hand. His skin tingled slightly and felt warm. Frowning deeply, Royce gabbed the bandages from is face and head and tore them from his body, and again with the gauze from his arm and torso. Once away from his body, the discarded fabric flickered into existence and fell to the garage floor where they lay in a heap. Grabbing his bat from it's place in the passenger side seat of his car, Royce phased out of the garage and into the resorts front lot. He picked up a stone and self- pitched it over the tree line with the power and ease that had always come naturally to him.  
  
"What am I still doing here..?" He thought sadly. "I have more than enough power to get the hell out of here for good." He thought about how easy it would be to get behind the wheel of his car and just drive. No destination, no cause, no worries - just drive. Royce reached into the pocket of his jeans and brought out his key, fixing his eyes on its' silver glint until it fell out of focus. He looked between the resort and the garage and the resort until his head thought it was going to snap off. Clutching the key tightly in his hand he nodded slightly towards the garage. "Fire up.." 


	15. Chapter 14

CHAPTER 14 - Dana and Susan to the Rescue  
  
(A/N - Well, Yami no Hikari Hime, I like Bananas too - so par your request, I'll try to fit in a segment with a piano. Probably Seth and Dana (they need some action) Thanks for the reviews guys - I got my flow back - don't you all hate writers block? - so I'll be adding more chapters every day or so like I usually do ^_^. XO ~ LoKi)  
  
"Will you stop hogging all the hot water - I still have to get this conditioner out of my hair!"  
  
"Hello - this is leave in treatment! I need the hot water more than you do!"  
  
"You need a smack, that's what you need." Dana sulked plopping down on the edge of the bathtub, a towel wrapped around her damp hair. Susan was sitting on the other edge. She had her panties and camisole on and was placing rollers in her hair.  
  
"Get over it, Dana, you can use the sink. We all know your history with bathtubs."  
  
"Yeah, you're also going to find out about my history with kitchen knives in a second-" She stopped mid thought and cocked her head to one side. "Is that thunder?" Susan stopped rolling her hair and listened. A faint rumbling was coming from outside the small window. It steadily got louder, and then fell, then entered another crescendo.  
  
"That doesn't sound like thunder. It kind of sounds like a car." The two girls exchanged worried glances.  
  
"PRINCE?!!"  
  
~*~  
  
God it felt good to drive again. Royce savored the feel of his car around him, the way she hummed and purred gently as he accelerated and made his way from the garage. He almost forgot about how his pride and joy so easily turned against him all those years ago, his mind was elsewhere anyway.  
  
He exited the garage and into the parking lot. The sky was nothing less than a velvet carpet, the stars like diamonds scattered carelessly about its ebony stillness. He accelerated again, the engine making the sound of thunder outside of Broadway's window He wanted to make it perfectly clear that he meant what he had said, and this was the only way he knew he could. He cast a determined look in the direction of her room and revved the engine once more before speeding off towards the exit.  
  
~*~  
  
"Dana - I can't go out like this!!" Susan yelled after her friend. She was trying to pull her shoes on and do up the straps of her dress and keep up with Dana who was running and phasing through the resort.  
  
"We have to go after him!" Dana called over her shoulder. They arrived in the parking lot in time to see the taillights of a 1953 Ford Hot Rod disappear down the driveway. Both women exchanged horrified looks and screamed. Susan flicked her hands around in front of her wildly.  
  
"What do we do?? Dana what do we do!??"  
  
"Go after him! Hurry up - maybe you can use your ESP to stop him!" Dana took off full speed down the narrow road with Susan at her heels. They flickered back at the entrance of the resort; Royce was still ahead of them by quite a distance, but Susan was already transforming. Her dress tore and bound her hands behind he back. A tie slinked its way up her neck as it twisted and bent at an odd angle until snapping audibly. She gave a short cry before concentrating on the speeding vehicle in the distance.  
  
~*~  
  
Royce was almost free from the resort when his car suddenly jerked forward as if it had been hit from behind. His hands clutched the steering wheel tightly and he had to calm himself as to not lapse into a flashback. Checking the review mirror, he could make out two figures in the distance but he couldn't see who it was. He pushed the accelerator harder and willed his car to go faster, but it was strained and felt as if it was being pulled backwards. He shifted gears and tried again, but to no avail. The car lurched forward again, almost violently and Royce cried out softly, cursing under his breath. His eyes flew to the review mirror again and he could make out the figures of two women - one in a towel and the other in a ratty prom dress. Royce slammed on the breaks, sending smoke billowing up from under the tires, but still the car dragged on. He finally gave up and waited. Dana leaned her arms on the open windowsill and grinned.  
  
"Kinda late for a drive, don't you think Prince?"  
  
"Yeah Royce, where are you off to in such a big hurry." Susan chimed in, fixing her tiara.  
  
"What do I have to do to get rid of people?!" Royce said exasperated. Dana cleaned her nails on the front of her towel.  
  
"You can't Prince, that's the thing. We're all in this until the end, and we're not letting you get away that easily." Royce clenched his jaw and looked straight ahead. "Come on, Prince - the three of us have been together for years. You two are the closest things to friends, real friends that I've ever had. We're supposed to stick together until the very end - we made that pact when we were first captured!"  
  
"I can't go back there. I have to stay away for a while - it's not a good idea for me to stay back there." Royce replied. Susan leaned against the window once again.  
  
"Girl problems, Royce?"  
  
"Cut the gas."  
  
"Looks like I hit a soft spot." Royce phased out of the drivers seat and materialized in front of Susan - his bat clutched tightly in his hand and brought it up to Susan's head, stopping inches before her skull.  
  
"I thought I told you to cut the gas."  
  
"Knock it off!" Dana stepped in between them and put her hands on Royce's shoulders. "Look Prince, lets just go back there and talk about it in the morning. Something's going on, and I know what it is, but you can't run away from it."  
  
"But.."  
  
"No buts. Lets go back. It's nice to have something of a home."  
  
~*~  
  
Dana sighed and slumped down into the bottom of the bright porcelain bathtub, rubbing her temples furiously. As soon as her Susan and Royce had arrived back at the lodge, Royce disappeared back into the garage and Susan sulked off, leaving a frustrated Angry Princess alone with her thoughts. The silence of the lodge was broken suddenly, and the haunting, melodic sounds of a piano floated about the residence. She tilted her head to one side and listened intently. It seemed to be coming from the private room and Dana, not particularly having anything better to do with her time, phased out of the bathroom and into the lounge, lingering in the doorway.  
  
Someone was bent over the keys of the grand piano, their back to her. He had black hair spiked up in almost every direction and was wearing a short sleeved black top and black jeans. Dana knew who it was and tried to remember his name.  
  
"Seth!" She remembered the way he looked at her the first time he saw her body. He didn't leer like all the others, it was as if he knew what she was feeling or thinking at the time. He looked at her with pity and understanding, when all the others always looked at her with disgust or a sick desire. Now, pity wasn't the best thing someone could have felt for her, but it certainly was better than twisted lust.  
  
She listened to the melody he was playing for a few more minutes before taking a step into the room. He didn't even notice that she was there and continued to concentrate on the notes and music. Dana let a gentle smile play along her face and phased across the room, sitting down on the piano seat next to him. Seth stiffened slightly and missed a beat of his song. He cast a few awkward glances around him before he placed his fingers back on the keys.  
  
"I like your song." Seth jumped off of his seat in one fluent motion and cried out in surprise. He removed a pair of translucent glasses from his back pocket and flung them onto his face, his eyes falling onto Dana.  
  
"What are you doing?" He exclaimed. She looked apologetic for a moment and stood up from the bench.  
  
"I'm sorry. I just heard you playing and wanted to listen to more."  
  
"Well, you could have given me a bit more warning." Seth replied shortly. He softened slightly when her expression began to show tinges of hurt. "I'm a little jumpy at night."  
  
"I know how it is." Dana said. "What was that you were playing?" She continued.  
  
"Oh that?" Seth gestured to his sheet music. "That's just a little something I wrote off the top of my head. I've been playing for a while now - it helps to get my mind off of shit." Dana fixed him with a quizzical look.  
  
"You mean your past?"  
  
"Exactly."  
  
"Ah." There was a moment of silence between the two before Dana spoke again. "Will you play a bit more for me? I've kind of had a bad day." Seth raised an eyebrow.  
  
"I'm not that good, you know."  
  
"I thought you were doing alright. I can't do anything like that - I don't have any sort of talents." She paused. "Rather, I DIDN'T have any special talents. That's more like it."  
  
"Oh come on, there must have been SOMETHING you were good at. Everyone has a talent." Seth retorted. The ghost shook her head.  
  
"There's nothing I can remember being good at."  
  
Seth said nothing but took his seat by the piano. He placed his fingers lightly on the keys and took a few deep breaths before letting the music sink into his eyes and out through his fingers. The song was soft and haunting, but as beautiful as mist over a lake at dawn. The melody rose and fell as the mood of the song changed from grace to angst and back into complacence. When it ended, Dana clapped softly and gave another delicate smile.  
  
"Thank you, Seth. That made me feel a lot better."  
  
"What's going on anyway?" Dana sighed deeply and sat down next to him on the bench again. Seth felt the softness of her towel against his skin as she settled down next to him.  
  
"Oh, just this crisis thing going on with the Black Zodiac. I thought it was over last year - I could have sworn it was over last year! I can't believe that we've gotten so many people involved..you do realize that you could all end up like us, right?"  
  
"Yeah, I do. I just wish that my sister would realize the risks." Seth replied with a snort. Dana opened her mouth to speak but decided against it. Seth looked at her closely. "What? Do you know anything about what's going on with my sister?"  
  
"..No. I don't - I have enough problems with Susan and Royce to deal with, I can't really be bothered. No offence."  
  
"None taken." He paused. "You three seem close."  
  
"Those two? Yeah, I guess they're both like my best friends. I never had any in life and so in death, I guess I was trying to change that."  
  
"Did you know each other while you were alive?"  
  
"Fuck no, how could we - we're all from different points in time from this century!" Dana replied with a laugh. "Susan died in the early 80's and Royce - we'll you can probably guess."  
  
"What happened anyway? How did you-" Dana pressed her finger to Seth's lips and shook her head.  
  
"Don't ever ask a ghost how they died. It'll send them into flashbacks and there's no telling what might happen then."  
  
"..Oh..sorry"  
  
"No problem. It's not something most people know about ghosts." Seth let a chuckle escape his throat.  
  
"There's not a whole hell of a lot of anything people know about ghosts except what we see in movies or on TV."  
  
"That's very true." Dana replied lightly. "Even when one becomes a ghost it's like being born all over again. You're like an infant and you have to try things out before you can see if they are good or bad. I had to ask myself questions about my own death before I could come to terms with it. That's called the denial period. It's kind of what we were all waiting for Cyrus to come out of before we could leave the grounds. The dead have to come to terms with their death before they can cross over into the afterlife, or become ghosts. Only a few lucky people cross over, the majority of the dead are ghosts, and only a small percentage of ghost are as violent as we are."  
  
"You're not being very violent right now, though are you?" Seth pointed out. The Angry Princess frowned.  
  
"Because I don't want to go to Hell. There was a time, longer now than it seems, when I would kill anyone who dared to come close to me. I took out 15 of Cyrus men when he came to retrieve me. And before that, well there were a lot." Dana frowned again and let out a dead sigh. "Though I suppose I brought this all upon myself. If I had known then what I know now, things would be so much different. At least, that's what I like to think."  
  
There was another awkward moment of silence between the two.  
  
"If there's one thing I've learned, Dana, it's not to dwell on the past. It's always going to be the way it was and you can't change it so don't bother trying. The best, and sometimes only thing you can do is learn from your experiences and don't make the same mistake twice."  
  
"Easier said than done." Dana paused. "But I suppose I have one thing going for me"  
  
"What's that?"  
  
"You can only kill yourself once, so I can't make the same mistake twice!"  
  
"Ha ha." Seth said sarcastically. "Not very funny."  
  
"Oh, I never laugh anymore so if it means poking fun at my own bad choices and stupidity, then so be it." A stray hair fell in front of her face and Seth brushed I back over her shoulders.  
  
"You're too harsh on yourself, you know that. What did I just tell you about dwelling on the past?"  
  
"Seth..?"  
  
"Hmm?"  
  
"Why are you so nice to me?" She sounded faintly upset, though Seth didn't understand why.  
  
"Well, if you think it's because I want to take advantage of you, you're wrong."  
  
"That's not what I meant."  
  
"Just checking." Seth sighed and put his hands on the keys again. "Because you're a good person, Dana. You had a rough life and you paid the ultimate price for it, even if it was by your own hand. The point is - something happened to you that drove you to that decision, and from what I can see and hear, you didn't deserve ANY of it. Don't keep punishing yourself in death for something you didn't deserve - you're not a martyr."  
  
"I guess not." Dana smoothed the front of her towel. "Will you do something for me, Seth?"  
  
"Sure. Of course."  
  
"Will you play another song for me?" He smiled and wordlessly picked up where he left off before. Dana closed her eyes and let the music float all around her. Without really realizing it, she had lay her head on Seth's shoulder. Seth only smiled softly and continued playing as if nothing peculiar had happened at all. 


	16. Chapter 15

CHAPTER 15 -Royce's' Past.  
  
Bianca and Luke were playing Snakes and Ladders when the room suddenly got very cold. Zeke - who had been listening to music on one of the beds - remove his earphones and looked at his siblings quizzically.  
  
"Did you guys feel that?" He swung his legs over the side of the bed and checked the window. "Oh, never mind, it's just the wind."  
  
"Moron." Bianca muttered softly before rolling the dice. She reached for her game piece when another cold blast hit her in the side of the face. "Close the window, dammit."  
  
"Why, the wind isn't blowing anymore." Luke replied irritably. His sister looked up.  
  
"Yes it is - I just felt it again." Her look changed again to uncertainty and she scanned the room quickly.  
  
"What the hell's the problem, Bianca? Take your turn!" Luke demanded.  
  
"Shut up for a second and listen!" Before anyone could respond, a slight chuckle erupted from inside the room. A pressure mark appeared on the bed beside Zeke and he jumped from his spot, looking around wildly. The chuckling grew into soft laughter.  
  
"Geez, I had almost forgotten what a blast this was!" Lucas reached into his pocket and grabbed a pair of glasses. He put them to his face and frowned.  
  
"What the hell are you doing here?" He demanded. Bianca turned her attention back towards the bed and the pressure mark before snatching the glasses from her brothers' face and placing them on her nose.  
  
"Oh, it's you Prince. What are you doing in here?"  
  
"Susan said that you were looking for me and I almost never keep a dolly waiting." Royce replied sliding off the bed and shouldering his bat. "What can I do for you?" Reaching into her bag beside her, Bianca produced a well- used VHS and handed it to the ghost.  
  
"I'd like you to prove the historical accuracy of this movie." She said sweetly.  
  
"A flick huh?" Royce read the title. "Grease..?"  
  
"Some shitty movie set in the 50's." Zeke replied monotonously. The ghost let another short laugh escape his throat.  
  
"Well, unless it takes place before '53, I can't be much help to you." He passed the video back to Bianca, who had suddenly become very pouty and disappointed.  
  
"No. It takes place in 1959."  
  
"Well then, I am completely useless to you." Royce said. The ghost paused and swayed a bit, clutching his head before regaining his composure.  
  
"Hey, are you alright?" Bianca stood from her position on the floor and reached out a hand to the spirit. Royce shook his head as though trying to forget a distant memory and cast her a look.  
  
"Yeah fine. I just get headaches sometimes, you know? It's almost as if something is trying to remind me of why I'm in this situation, not that I really need any reminders." He shrugged his shoulders and touched the side of his face thoughtfully. "But it never stops hurting, even for a moment. It's always burning or stinging."  
  
"You took your bandages off. I guess Broadway did a good job." Bianca said.  
  
"Huh? Oh right. Well, they served their purpose - I stopped bleeding."  
  
"Speaking of the devil, have you by any chance seen my sister around? I think something's bugging her, she hasn't been herself lately and we never see her anymore." Luke piped up. Royce opened his mouth to reply but shut it abruptly. He hadn't seen Broadway either since the night n the garage. She was so upset, the way she had looked at him with tears in her eyes while he had stood there stone faced and told her not to come near him. Royce figured she was honoring his request, though, something told her otherwise.  
  
"No. I haven't seen her either. But I'll bet you any money that she's in the garage if anywhere." Royce suddenly felt guilty and uncomfortable. "I'll go check it out and come back in a flash, alright?"  
  
Royce didn't give them the chance to reply before he phased out of the room and into the garage. He hadn't taken two steps towards the back when another surging headache caused him to drop his bat and grasp his right arm tightly.  
  
"What is this?" He thought painfully. He was used to pain surges every once and a while, but twice in the span of five minutes was crazy. Something was wrong. Royce knew that this had happened before, but he couldn't remember why. He scanned the walls of the garage briefly and tried to make the room stop spinning. Spinning. Rolling. Flipping. Royce sucked in a dead breath and mentally kicked himself for not remembering the date. He needed to get to a calendar to be sure and thought that he had seen one in the kitchenette of the resort. When the burning of his body returned to a dull sting, he straightened and phased back into the resort.  
  
"Hey you guys! You all have to come see this!! QUICK!" Arthur's panicky voice came from the other end of the building, where the bedrooms and lounge were. Royce could hear people making their way quickly into the TV area par his urgent request and asking in one communal voice what his shouting was all about. Remembering what he had come to do, Royce put the commotion aside for the moment and continued his search for the small wall- organizer. He found it situated snugly between the fridge and counter and stared at the date. He was right, but before Royce had time to think about anything else, another searing wave of pain hit him and he dropped to the floor.  
  
"Easy there, Royce." He thought. "Just don't think too much and it'll pass." Royce kicked himself again for getting to caught up in trivial things to forget the anniversary. It was 50 years today when it all began, or ended rather. Despite himself, Royce thought about how people had always said that memory was the first thing to go in old age and he almost grinned. Another wave of pain brought his out of his train of thought and then, it all subsided.  
  
"Ow.." Picking himself off the ground, the ghost wiped a smear of blood from his lips and looked off towards the lounge. He took a few cautious steps forward but stopped when he heard Broadway's voice, filled with horror and despair up ahead. Silently he made his way to the room and stood in the doorway, his gaze falling on the TV where all attention was fixated.  
  
Royce froze. He felt hot, then cold all over, and then very sick. He was pretty sure that if his heart could beat, it would have skipped a few as he listened to the reporter on the screen speak; live on location at none other than his Valley High. 


	17. Chapter 16

CHAPTER 16 - The Most Deadly of Flashbacks.  
  
"I'm here on location at the famous Valley High as the city of Crescent Valley prepares to commence their 50th Anniversary of the town's most tragic accident. It was on this day five decades ago, that Royce Clayton, Valley High's star baseball player lost his life in a drag race that ended in a terrible crash." The female reporter from Start-Up News droned on about how no one had been able to break his record of home runs still, and how the organizers were going about the preparations, but Royce wasn't really listening anymore. It wasn't as if he heard the words as much as it was as if they were being imprinted in his mind as they were spoken. An odd feeling nevertheless.  
  
"Clayton, that's my name. Royce Clayton." The Prince let the thought sink in before turning his attention to the rest of the room. No one had seen or heard him enter, they all seemed as shocked as he was.  
  
Something brushed past Royce and Broadway crept into the room. She looked alright, considering, and just as stunned as he family. The news lady started talking again, and the Prince resumed his gaze to the TV.  
  
"This is the site of the accident. As you can see, mourners and citizens are all around me, placing bouquets and candles at the side of the road; a tradition the Clayton family started after Royce's death."  
  
The picture switched to an elderly lady lighting a candle and kneeling before a grave. She reached out a wrinkled, yet elegant hand and brushed away a few dead leaves before standing and walking towards the camera. The reporter began speaking as the cameras left the graveyard, a scene filmed earlier that day.  
  
"Elizabeth Clayton is the only member of her family left alive, and the pain of her brother's death still fresh, even after all these years."  
  
"It was a surprise to all of us when Royce died; the whole community was devastated." Elizabeth Clayton's soft voice held great sorrow as she spoke, and he green eyes, identical to Royce's, glinted with the sheen of tears. "He always did think he was invincible, though and it was one of the things I hated him for. But we were very close and it took me a very long time to get over his passing, and thee isn't a day that goes by when I don't ask God to keep him safe so I can see him again."  
  
Royce didn't know whether it was seeing his sister for the first time in fifty years, hearing her voice, or the whole God-bit, but he was shaking. He clutched the handle of his bat until his knuckles went white and even then he didn't let go. He wanted to run, to get out of the room and forget he had ever seen any of it, but he knew that he needed to remember. Part of him needed to remember what happened.  
  
The Picture switched once more to a photograph of a pretty teenage girl. It was a headshot and printed in black and white. She had long dark hair and eyes that sparkled, even through the paper.  
  
"Perhaps out of everyone in Crescent Valley, Freiya Jones was struck the hardest by Royce's death. Elizabeth remembers her story." Again, the reporters voice narrated the pictures in her fake-sympathetic tones.  
  
"Freiya and Royce were high school sweethearts, and it wasn't very hard to imagine why. She was the school cheerleader and Royce was the star athlete so they kind of went together like peaces and cream. My brother was very hard to read when it came to these sorts of things and he kept his feelings to himself, but Freiya loved my brother dearly. She adored him more than anything, more than life itself, and I think that's what drove her to follow him"  
  
Royce felt the waves of hot and cold all over his body once more and than his mouth went bone dry. "Dead..? Freiya..killed herself..when I died?" He tried to understand what he had just been told. Sure, he liked Freiya a lot, but to KILL yourself?! Royce couldn't understand. He felt very sleepy all of a sudden, like this was all some kind of bad dream or sick joke and he was going to wake up any moment now. Moments turned to seconds, but he remained in the doorway of the lounge with the same dumb expression on his face. Anguish, disbelief, pain. Sorrow. Royce willed himself to look away, told himself that enough was enough. He had seen all he could take, but a part of him still refused to look away. To take his eyes off the picture that was on the screen - a picture of him, pristine and handsome. The way he remembered himself looking. More photographs of him, some in uniform, and some family, some just with friends. And then, photographs from after the accident. Pictures of his car. Pictures of a body under a white sheet. Pictures of the wreckage. Then the news lady was talking again.  
  
"Witnesses from the time remember the accident clearly, watching the horror unfold as they watched from the side of the road. What started out as a seemingly harmless drag race, ended in death. Behind me is the sharp stretch of road citizens had always nicknamed the Devils' Elbow. It was this turn that forever changed the lives of all who were there that day."  
  
A 3-D computer generated model of the road was brought up on screen to detail the events of the night. There was the road and a car.  
  
"Reports of people that night say that when Royce approached the turn, he failed to brake in time and swerved left instead. The result flipped the car onto it's right side. The speed and force of the impact caused Royce to be jarred from the drivers seat and trapped under the right side of the car, while his left remained inside. He was dragged under the body until the car came to a stop and finally burst into flames. The coroner reports state that Royce died on impact."  
  
Click  
  
That was it. He couldn't take it anymore.  
  
"Yeah, too bad I didn't die on impact!" Royce cried angrily. In one swift motion, the room had turned to gawk at the Torn Prince. "If I had of died on impact, do you think I would be here? A trapped and tortured soul?! All I ever wanted to do was forget! Forget that night ever happened, and to have it all come backing one pitch-" Royce's voice broke slightly and he began to shake more violently. The heavy bat slipped from his fingers and he wiped another trickle of blood from his lips wearily.  
  
The room began to spin around Royce. Slowly at first, but it quickly gained speed. He clutched his head a staggered forward, the room nothing more than a blur of colour and vapor trails. He felt himself falling, but something warm grabbed him and caught him half way. Someone was holding him, telling him that it was alright. Someone who smelled like vanilla. The Prince was out of energy and was already fighting to stay conscious.  
  
"Broadway..?"  
  
"Yeah Prince, I'm here." Upon hearing her voice, the Prince let his head fall forward into the crook of her neck before finally succumbing to the darkness fighting for his vision. 


	18. Chapter 17

CHAPTER 17 - You're My Angel  
  
When Royce finally opened his eyes, he saw nothing but blackness and wondered briefly if he had gone blind.  
  
"At least it's in both eyes." He mused darkly. "At least there's something symmetrical about my face now." He moved his hand over something soft and dry, it felt like fabric.  
  
"Maybe I'm in a coffin." He paused. "Well, I know I'm in one, my body at least. But this doesn't make any sense." Royce tried to sit up and caught movement to his right.  
  
"Uhhn.." He tried to speak but the words weren't forming. All that escaped his dry lips were weak sounds of protest and confusion.  
  
"Shh, quiet Royce. You're okay now."  
  
He recognized the voice immediately and felt a wave of relief wash over him. "Broadway. Broadway is here to save me, just like she always is. The one person I can rely on to be there."  
  
"Cold." Royce struggled to get the word out of his mouth and it came out forced and slurred, as if his lips were numb. Broadway lay her hand on the side of his face.  
  
"You've been unconscious for a few days now, Prince. Everyone's worried about you. I'm sorry you had to go through something like that."  
  
"I..had to watch.." He finally found his voice. "Part of me needed to know what happened. I needed to remember." His eyes adjusted to the dark room and Royce found himself sprawled on Broadway's bed. His jacket was somewhere else though and so was his bat. He could make out her silhouette against the back window. There was a moment of silence before Broadway spoke again.  
  
"You left, didn't you? The other night, I heard you outside my window."  
  
"How did you know it was me?"  
  
"I just did." She paused. "Why did you come back? You were free, you could have left all of this behind."  
  
"I.." Royce didn't know how to answer her question. He found himself wondering if Susan hadn't of stopped him, would he had kept on driving, or would he have come back anyway? "I just did. Mind you, a needed a little shove, or pull." More silence passed between the two.  
  
"How did I get here?" Royce asked slowly.  
  
"Dennis." Came his simple reply. "He brought you here after you blacked out." Royce suddenly felt very glad that the room was dark, as he could feel the redness in his cheeks.  
  
"Oh..Is this your room?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Where have you been, you know, sleeping?" Broadway chuckled a little at his question.  
  
"Oh Royce, you're so wholesome. I've been bunking with my sisters when I'm not here. I haven't had much sleep I the past few days, but I guess that's what coffee was invented for."  
  
"Sorry."  
  
"Sorry? What for, Royce?"  
  
"For taking over your room, among other things." He replied, letting the last few words dissolve into nothing.  
  
"Other things? Like what?"  
  
"Oh, lets see, where should I start? How about at the part where I got you involved in all of this? Then almost killing you and finally making you cry? I think that about sums it up." Royce felt vulnerable lying there, looking up to Broadway and he didn't like it. He pushed himself onto his elbows so he was at eye level with her. "And then I have to go pass out and fall into you and take over your room for a few days." Broadway chuckled again. "What's so funny?"  
  
"You're blushing, you know that?" Royce let out an exasperated sigh and leaned back down. Broadway's smile faded.  
  
"You're too hard on yourself, Prince. In case you've forgotten, I was the one who got my family involved in all of this. I followed Arthur to the house because he didn't stop to help us when he had some road troubles. Everyone kept telling me to leave, but I dragged them all behind. I was the one, Royce, not you. That's why I've been keeping mostly to myself since we've been here, because I can't face the fact that I've put my family in danger. I'm used to putting myself in danger, it's how I survive and not go crazy! But I know my siblings, and they're nothing like me. If something ever happened to any of them, I don't know what the hell I would do." She hesitated for a moment. "So don't go blaming things on yourself just to find a reason for feeling a certain way."  
  
Royce sat up again. "Oh? And just what exactly am I feeling that would cause me to act this way?"  
  
"I don't know, why don't you tell me?" A glint of something almost upsetting flashed in Broadway's eyes. "Is it maybe because I remind you of her?" Royce found himself at a loss for words again.  
  
"Of all the things you could have possibly brought up at a time like this.." He trailed off.  
  
"I didn't mean it like that. I just want to know." Royce stared at Broadway for a long moment. She did remind him of Freiya in some ways. They both had dark hair and eyes, but that was about as far as it went. Broadway was free spirited and..just..different from girls he was used to.  
  
"No. You're completely different people."  
  
"Then why do you treat me differently from everyone else?"  
  
"Because you ARE different from everyone else - I told you that. You give a damn! Other people didn't-"  
  
"Those people thought you were already dead and still do! You heard it yourself, the newspapers, the official coroners report told everyone that you died on impact, and quite honestly, if I had of been there, I would have thought that too."  
  
"You're telling me that people couldn't hear me scream?!"  
  
"How long were you alive after the car stopped moving, Royce?"  
  
"Long enough!" He shot back.  
  
"Long enough for people to get close enough to hear you scream?" Again, the ghost found himself speechless. "Royce, I know you don't believe me, but I understand what you're feeling. I have my past too, remember?" Broadway tucked a piece of hair behind her ear and smiled. "We all have a past - some are just darker than others."  
  
"You could put it like that." The Prince muttered.  
  
"Are you feeling alright? Are you hungry or anything..do ghosts even HAVE to eat?"  
  
"I'm alright, and no. Ghosts get all their energy from sleeping. It called regenerating. We're not actually sleeping, just replenishing the energy we use to stay visible to you."  
  
"Sounds complicated."  
  
"Not really."  
  
"How do you do that though? You know, walk through walls and fade out of sight?"  
  
"Phasing? Hmm. How can I put this.." Royce looked thoughtful for a moment. "Ghosts are everywhere, right? Except they - we - exist or 'live' so to speak in the spiritual realm. Think of it as an exact duplicate of your world, only it's populated entirely by ghosts. When I phase, all I'm doing is switching between those two worlds. Walking through things is just the same, since I don't really have a solid form while phasing, nothing can block my way. It's like being underwater. You can only be under for so long until you have to come up for air unless you keep popping your head above the surface for a mouthful. It's exactly like that."  
  
"Wooow. I never thought of it like that."  
  
"Ghosts can also travel quicker through the spirit world since there's no concept of time. That's why it was so easy for me to lose track of what year it was, or how old I was..am..whatever." Royce trailed off at the end, grinning slightly.  
  
Broadway scooted closer and lay back against the headboard. "I wonder if I'll become a ghost when I die."  
  
"Maybe. It's not terrible, I mean the whole tortured realm thing kind of sucked the root, but all other things aside, it could have been a lot worse."  
  
"I'm not even going to ask about the 'tortured realm' part." Broadway mumbled.  
  
"And you're a dolly for it."  
  
"Thanks. I think." Royce grinned slightly but then paused, realizing the position he was in. He was lying precariously close to a girl he respected and liked in her bed in a dark room with the door closed. "Oh boy." A thousand thoughts that he shouldn't have been thinking raced through Royce's head. The memories of the last days making them seem much worse. "Okay, lets calm down a bit here." He thought. "Snap out of this right now! You. Are. Dead. She is alive. Dead, dead, dead. Alive, alive, alive. She has a face. You have some of yours on a good day." Royce began to feel very warm, an odd feeling considering he had no bodily functions that would make him feel warm. He became conscious of the fact that it was because Broadway was so close to him. Close enough to keep him warm. He glanced around. It wasn't a tiny bed, and there was lots of room on her side- "Oh boy." Royce mentally kicked himself for not having anything better to think of to save him from the situation he was falling into.  
  
His head began to hurt again and the tiny webs of pain slowly crawled down his neck and shoulder, and down towards his arm. "Great. Not now, just for once, stop hurting." Royce was tired, tired of being in pain and tired of never knowing what the feel. He only closed his eyes for what seemed to be a moment but when he opened them again, sunlight was poking in through the drawn curtains.  
  
He let a long empty sigh escape his lips before becoming aware of the weight on his torso. He lay there for countless minutes more, not willing or wanting to wake Broadway up as more thoughts passed through his head. How good the rise and fall of her chest felt against the stillness of his own and how powerful her heartbeat resounded within her ribs. How peaceful the sound of her breathing made him feel and how much warmth he felt. All on his right side; his bad side. Royce stole a look down his arm and frowned. In the patches of light he could see just how littered with scars it was. He imagined his face and torso were much the same and frowned even deeper.  
  
Broadway made a soft noise in the back of her throat before falling silent again and Royce wondered whether he should wake her or not. Her fingers closed around the fabric of his shirt, just below the collar, almost as if she knew what he was thinking and Royce decided that a few more moments wouldn't hurt. He was enjoying himself far too much.  
  
"And all you're doing is lying there." His inner voice said bemusedly. Royce cocked an eyebrow at this and debated with himself over doing something about it. Slowly, he wrapped his right arm around her waist and held her gently. His other hand coiled around her shoulders. Broadway made another contented noise and her head tilted back slightly, lips vaguely parted. Her soft breathing blossomed across his face in slow, even exhalations. Royce watched her sleep and studied her face closely. Though he had never noticed it before, she had a faint scar running the length of her cheek, close to her jaw line, and he wondered how it had gotten there. He liked the way her eyelashes fanned out under her eyes, so dark and thick there was never any need for makeup.  
  
The more he watched her, the more Royce found himself unwilling to let go and wake her up. The more he wished that time would stop around them and that he could stay like this until who knows when. It felt good to hold her, to feel warmth in his body that had been absent for so many years and to feel a heartbeat again. It felt better than good, it felt..right.  
  
Broadway stirred again and her hand slipped around the back of his neck. Royce dropped his train of thought and glanced down at her, his cheek brushing her forehead. If he tilted his head down just a little further..  
  
"Don't even go there." He thought. "But, then again, why not?" Royce tilted his head down agonizingly slow and brushed his lips against hers. The sleeping girl sighed again in contentment and muttered something barely audible. She was beginning to wake up and he brought his head up again, feeling more than a little disappointed. Broadway's eyelids fluttered open and she gazed at him groggily.  
  
"Prince? What time is it?"  
  
"Morning. I don't know what time it is exactly, but you've been sleeping for quite a while."  
  
"On you?"  
  
Royce nodded. "Yeah."  
  
Broadway pushed herself up on her elbows and felt a blush spread across her cheeks. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to."  
  
"It's alright, dolly. I didn't mind one bit."  
  
Broadway stared at him. She had never heard him sounding so sincere. He locked eyes with her and she looked away, swinging her legs over the side of the bed and looking at the floor, keeping her back to him. A million thoughts raced through her head at what might have been clocked at Warp 3. She slept with Royce, well, ON him at least, and he didn't mind. Mind you, this was after he had told her quite firmly that they should steer clear of each other.  
  
"What does he want?" She thought. "What do you want, is more like it." She glanced over her shoulder and caught his eyes again. Royce crossed his arms behind his head and blinked, a slow and deliberate gesture as if he didn't have to and was for the hell of it. Broadway admired the strength his arms possessed, the result of so many hits with ever-present bat. She studied his face closely, looking past the scars to the boy before her. He was handsome. God was he ever. She felt her cheeks growing warmer and brushed that train of thought side.  
  
"I - we - should get up. People might start wondering." Broadway trailed off and stood up, stretching her arms above her head.  
  
"You've very warm." Royce said plainly.  
  
She turned to look at him once more. "Yeah, it comes with having a pulse among other things." The ghost let a soft chuckle escape his lips and he sat up, examining his arm in the light. He pulled the side of his shirt up and studied the rest of his body wordlessly. "Does it still hurt?"  
  
Royce nodded. "It never stops hurting, but it feels better. It doesn't hurt as much, and the wounds are closed at least. He touched the side of his face thoughtfully and narrowed his eyes. "I didn't think she was alive."  
  
"Your sister?'  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Do you remember your family now?"  
  
"I remember everything now." Came his short reply. "But, I don't really want to think about it right now."  
  
Broadway nodded in agreement. "Alright, I didn't want to push or anything, I was - I am - still worried about you."  
  
"Broadway..?"  
  
"I mean, I haven't really been anywhere other than here since you blacked out and you didn't even move. You lay there still for two days, never making a sound, or moving even once. I was scared." She pushed the words out of her mouth as if they were poison.  
  
Royce tilted his head slightly and moved to sit in front of her. "You stayed here for two days? You were..worried about me?"  
  
"Of course I was, Royce!" Broadway softened. "I won't lie anymore Royce, I'm glad that I met you and I don't want to have to lose you before I have to."  
  
The spirit of the Torn Prince reached out his hand traced her jaw line, his features softening tenderly. "You're not going to lose me, Dolly. Not for a long time, anyway." Broadway searched his face for a second before she threw her arms around his neck, knocking his slightly off balance. He returned her embrace wordlessly, the feeling of something long forgotten returning to his consciousness.  
  
The loud knock on the door broke the encirclement suddenly, and Mallory stepped into the room.  
  
"Hey! I thought I heard voices in here; it's about damn time you woke up, Royce. How are you feeling?"  
  
"Better than I could have imagined." He replied smoothly.  
  
"Good, now that everyone is conscious and together, we can get things in motion. Dennis has a plan, and he needs everyone together ASAP. Are you two up for that?" Mallory smiled and tossed her head to one side, ignoring the glare from her younger sister.  
  
"Yeah, we'll be right there." Broadway replied with a nod. "It feels like things are going to get dangerous from here on in." 


	19. Chapter 18

CHAPETER 18 - Things Get Complicated  
  
Dennis thought it best to spare the group comments about Royce and Broadway being together for so long in the room and decided to get along with what he had discovered. "I know that some of you might not be too pleased with the ways I went about getting my information, but it was the best and only way.." The psychic paused. "I returned to the house a few nights ago..right after the incident with Royce-' The Prince snorted quietly and shot Dennis a displeased look.  
  
"You went to the house without telling anyone or taking anyone with you!?" Arthur exclaimed.  
  
"That's generally what I mean when I say 'I went to the house.'" Dennis replied candidly. Mallory shared the same horrified look as Arthur.  
  
"Dennis, why would you do something like that? Something could have happened to you and no one would have even known where you were!"  
  
"Look, if I had of brought anyone else with me, we would have been spotted and gotten no where. I went on my own so that I wouldn't be noticed and I could move quickly." He retorted.  
  
"What did you find out, Dennis?" Jean spoke suddenly and softly, as if she was gently trying to change the topic and get things back on track. The psychic blinked a few times and wiped at his eyes.  
  
"Well, they have a plan, Cyrus and Kalina, I mean. They have a plan to make the Ocularis work once more. They can't kill anyone directly or else they'll be dragged straight to hell, right? It's the same thing with you,' he gestured at the other ghosts with the palm of his hand. "So, they're planning on playing Death itself. They're going to single out 12 people and set up their deaths in almost identical ways to our own."  
  
"Well that's great! How are we going to find those people, they could be anywhere?!" Luke spat.  
  
"Oh no, it gets better. What's the date?" Dennis was fixed with some quizzical looks. "Come on, people!! The date, please!!"  
  
"Uh, August 28th!" Luke responded quietly.  
  
"And when are you going home?"  
  
"On the 30th"  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because we have to go back to scho-SHIT!" Luke chewed on is lips nervously. Dennis nodded slowly.  
  
"Bingo."  
  
Bianca threw her hands up in exasperation. "Wait, wait, wait, Cyrus is going to attack a high school?" She was rewarded with another nod from the ghost.  
  
"Not just any school, Bianca, yours."  
  
"Why ours!?"  
  
Dennis hesitated slightly. "Because Cyrus wants you six to be his first victims." There was a heartbeat of silence before the chaos erupted. The Erikson siblings began to all yell at once, angry questions fled their mouths and they demanded explanations. "I don't know how he get this information other than from when we were first at the house, but I'm more than certain that Kalina had something to do with it. They both know that we're with you, Cyrus and Kalina know that we're together and figured they could kill two birds with one stone." Dennis sighed unhappily and sat down heavily on the couch. "I don't know how this all happened, but we have to do something fast or else all Hell's going to break loose."  
  
Seth looked thoughtful for a minute. "So, which are we supposed to be?" The question caught the psychic off guard.  
  
"What..?"  
  
"That book, the Arcanum, it calls for specific spirits, right? So which ones were we supposed to be?" Seth continued.  
  
"What difference would it make?" Dana countered. "You'd be dead!"  
  
"Yeah, but he knew we was going to take on the spirit of the Prince, he could take precautions to avoid certain objects." Susan responded equally as thoughtful. Royce nodded.  
  
"Yeah, but how would someone find out how they're going to die? We just figured this out!"  
  
"I say we go back." Mallory said. It caught everyone by surprise; she was the last person anyone expected to say something like that. "We have to go back and try to do something before he can kill anyone and before we have to go back to Bellville. It's now or never."  
  
"Bellville..?" Dana cast her a puzzled look.  
  
"It's the name of the city we live in." Mallory replied shortly. "Come on guys, what do you say?"  
  
"I say you're crazy." Zeke said, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "Weren't you listening? Cyrus is going to KILL us and if we go back there it's like giving him the gun and telling him to pull the trigger! Sure, he's going to try to get us when we go back, but at least that's in the future and we'll have some time to prepare and come up with a game plan!"  
  
"The kid's right." Arthur chimed in. "It's too dangerous."  
  
Broadway shook her head. "But if we go now we might catch him in a weaker state. Think about it, do you want to go confront him now when he's still weak, or later when he's had the time to fully heal or do whatever it is he's doing? I agree with Mal, we should go now and at least try to do something to buy time."  
  
"No way Dolly! None of you are going anywhere NEAR that house!" Royce said firmly. "Though I agree, we should go cast an eyeball just in case something is going down." Dana and Jean began to disagree loudly but Royce only frowned and threw his hand up. "Cut the gas and listen up for a second." The two women snapped their mouths closed and glanced uneasily at one another. "We go' he continued, gesturing at his ghostly companions "because he can't touch us. We go in flat out, eyeball the place, see if we can't get any illuminations, and if anything goes raunchy, we split and get back here on the double, no sweat. Dig?"  
  
Susan and Bianca rolled their eyes in unison. "In English, Prince!" The Bound Woman demanded. Royce made another disapproving sound and scratched the back of his head.  
  
"He means we all go there really quick and take a look around and if anything happens, we come back right away." Jean interjected. "I think it's the most appropriate course of action considering the circumstances. Cyrus can't hurt us, though he can and is intending on killing you kids. This is the safest way to go about this." The group slowly nodded at Jean in muted approval. "Alright then, lets get going."  
  
Royce smirked slightly. "Fire up.." 


	20. Chapter 19

CHAPTER 19 - Cyrus on the Move  
  
Mallory paced back and forth like a mad woman, her siblings watching her in silence. "What's taking them so long? You don't think something happened, do you? I know we should have taken the long way here! I wish this never happened!" She barked out questions one after another, more to herself than to her brothers or sisters.  
  
"I don't." Broadway said simply.  
  
"What do you mean you don't?" Mallory questioned.  
  
"I mean just that. I'm sorta glad this all came about. Mind you, I'm not too happy about the fact that someone wants to murder me, but this whole experience has changed the way I look at everything. I mean, who here believed in ghosts until a few days ago? My life has changed, I don't know if it's for the better or worse, but deep inside, I'm glad it happened."  
  
Seth grinned slightly. "I bet that's not the only reason you're glad this came about."  
  
"What's that supposed to mean?"  
  
"Come on Broadway, you've never been the one to act dumb!" Seth replied. "So tell us, why him? You could have your pick of any guy back in Bellville and you go and fall for a dead guy."  
  
Broadway blushed and felt anger rise in her. She stood up quickly and balled her fists. "You don't know what you're talking about!"  
  
"Yes I do! We've all seen it! You act differently around him, you care about him, don't you?" Luke added.  
  
"So what if I do?"  
  
"Broadway, he's dead? D-E-A-D!" Zeke protested. "You can't fall for a dead guy!"  
  
Broadway suddenly felt very outnumbered and ashamed. She began to second guess her feelings. Maybe it was just a twisted infatuation that was never destined to last. Royce was dead and had been for a long time.  
  
"He's killed people, sweetheart." Arthur said quietly, breaking her train of thought. "He almost killed Dennis when we first encountered the house and he almost killed me." His words burned deeply into her soul and Broadway felt more anger than before.  
  
"But that was before! I've talked to him; I got Royce to open up to me! None of you know what it's like to be earth bound for so long and not know where you're supposed to go! I know why ALL of them acted the way they did! I know that he, or Susan, or Dana or any of them wouldn't ever hurt anyone like they did before."  
  
"You don't really know that, Broadway." Bianca said soothingly.  
  
"Then tell me why we're still here? Why are we still alive - why are we even helping them in the first place? They're out there right now, protecting us! US!!" Mallory took a step towards her sister.  
  
"Broadway, we're helping them out because it's the right thing to do. I understand how you feel, more than you think, but you can't become attached to a ghost. He's not going to be on earth forever - don't fall in love with someone immortal." The look I her eyes was so pleading that Broadway began to understand.  
  
"You feel it too don't you Mallory? You fell for one didn't you?" Mallory turned away from Broadway's questions and looked out the window once more. After a pause she sighed deeply.  
  
"Dennis is an extraordinary man. He's also dead, which is why I can't allow myself to love him." She turned to face her sister. "Even as much as I want to."  
  
"You idiot! Love is one of the most powerful energies in the world - you remember what Jean told us! Why would you deny something like that?" Broadway demanded. Seth shook his head.  
  
"Because it's the wrong kind of love!"  
  
"And how the hell would you know?!"  
  
"Because I'm human too!" He snapped.  
  
"Calm down!!" Arthur held up his hands and raised his voice over the shouts of the arguing siblings. "Love is the strongest power, that's why the Ocularis needs a sacrifice of life in the name of love to work. That's why I was taken to that house in the first place. I love my wife and I will always love her - she is my life; her and our children. I know what it's like to love a ghost more than any of you ever will! Do you know how hard it is?" He turned to Broadway. "Royce is going to remain seventeen forever and always while you will grow older and eventually die. If he does love you as much as you think you love him, how do you think it's going to affect him when he watches you wither away while he's trapped in eternal youth? Do you understand why I'm telling you that this is wrong? It's only going to result in the heartbreak of you both. You too, Mallory, and you Seth! Break off this affection before it kills you all. I had to let go of my wife not once, but twice and after all this it will be the third time. To have to experience that over and over.." Arthur's voice broke and he dropped his hands limply at his sides. "Save yourselves the torment of having to bury the ones you love, I beg of you." With that, he walked out of the room, closing the door softly behind him.  
  
"I can't take this anymore!" Bianca said softly after a few moments had passed. "I can't take seeing you all like this. I know what Arthur is saying and I know it's right.' She paused "But I also know that love is hard to come by, especially true love which is why I say go for it." She stood and took Broadway by the hand. "I know you love him, Broadway. And I know that you've probably going through this inner struggle trying to figure out if you do or not, or if it's what you really feel. You've always been like that. Never willing to admit to your feelings until you're absolutely sure that's the way things are." Bianca smiled gently and winked. "I wish I was as lucky as you three. Even if it may just be for a moment, I wish I could find somebody to love."  
  
Seth placed a hand on his sisters' head. "You will Bianca." He opened his mouth to say something more when the space behind he shifted and Dana shimmered into existence followed shortly by Susan, Dennis, Jean, and Royce. It was as though they cut the fabric of time and stepped through, really an odd sight. "Hey! How'd it go?" Dana frowned.  
  
"Well, it's hard to say. The place was empty, there was no one there. We couldn't feel anything, or find anything of use for that matter. Though Dennis did pick up on some disturbing vibes.."  
  
"Cyrus is moving west of here. He has to return to the house sooner or later because that's his source of power, but for now I picked up on him moving west for some reason." The psychic chimed in. Seth and Mallory exchanged horrified glances.  
  
"Bellville is west of here! He's heading towards out home!"  
  
"Then it looks as thought you're going to have to cut your vacation short." Mallory chuckled slightly.  
  
"Dennis, we never had a vacation to begin with." 


	21. Chapter 20

CHAPTER 20 - Home Sweet Home  
  
When Mallory unlocked the front door and called out, she was relieved to hear her voice echo off of empty walls. "Matron isn't home yet, guys, which is good, now we can formulate a plan without her thinking anything suspicious."  
  
Seth caught the quizzical look on Dana's features and he leaned down, close to her ear. "This is our home. It's like a small group home and the woman who owns it is our Matron. Her name is Mayra, though she's not here right now."  
  
"Where is she?"  
  
"Visiting family up north. She's supposed to be returning when school begins so we still have a few days." Dana nodded and looked around. The house was huge, with high ceilings and cozy country inspired decorating. Broadway was already half way up the stairs, dragging her bag behind her. "Most of the bedrooms are on the second floor," Seth continued. "Though mine is in the basement and Broddy's is in the attic. Matron's bedroom is on the main floor." He pointed down a hallway.  
  
Susan clasped her hands in front of her chest. "This place is SO HUGE! It's plenty bigger than MY house! It's like a castle!"  
  
Mallory nodded sadly. "Our Matron's husband built it. Matron loved children, but she couldn't have any of her own. When she found out, she went into this downhill spiral of suicidal thoughts and depression. Her husband was the heir to a rifle company, so he they weren't exactly penny pinchers. He built her this house so she could turn it into an Orphanage. Unfortunately, before Matron could adopt her first child, her husband died of a stroke. It's a sad story, but we're all really fortunate that we have this kind of opportunity. Most of us spent a good portion of our lives in city based group homes that are a lot like prison camps!" Behind her, Arthur was muttering what a beautiful house it was and how much the property taxes alone must cost them, but Mallory was too happy to be home to care. It was as if the simple act of walking through the front door filled her with strength.  
  
Suddenly, a deep growling filled the room and Buster crept his way into the front hall.  
  
"Oh yeah, dogs can feel ghosts, can't they?" Zeke asked, bending down to pet the family pet. "I saw it on TLC."  
  
Dennis nodded. "Yeah, though it doesn't work all the time. I think its because there are so many in one pace, Fido here is going a little metal."  
  
"Buster." Zeke corrected him.  
  
"Oh, my apologies, Buster." Bianca rolled her eyes and turned to Arthur.  
  
"We have a guest room downstairs in the basement. Seth's room is down there also so you won't be alone."  
  
"Thank you, Bianca. Lead the way." Him, Seth, Bianca and Jean disappeared downstairs wordlessly and Zeke and Luke made their way upstairs, leaving Mallory in the foyer to entertain the remainder of the spirits.  
  
"You're all free to roam the house, I guess. We have five bathrooms, one on each floor, save for the second floor which has two, so don't go busting through doors without knocking or making sure no one's on the can. Matron's room is behind that door. I suppose as long as you don't make any kind of mess that would be hard to explain, you can hang out in there. There's stuff in the fridge if you need to eat and don't worry about Buster. His bark is a k-billion times worse than his bite. I'm going to go take a hit shower and then go to sleep. It's good to be home."  
  
"It must be." Dennis commented, craning his neck to look up to the high ceilings. Mallory gave him a funny look before grabbing her bags and taking them up the stairs.  
  
The ghosts stood in the doorway awkwardly for a few moments before stepping into the rest of the house. It was massive, as big as the glass house if not bigger. Dennis plopped down on one of the comfy leather sofas and turned on the TV. "Might as well make ourselves at home." He muttered before clicking the channel to some cheesy sit-com. Susan stared at the TV for a long while.  
  
"Wooooooow, it's really big. Everything is big, the house, the TV! It's sure come a long way since black and white huh, Prince?" She turned to where Royce was standing and found only empty air. "Huh? Where did he go?"  
  
"I'll give you three guesses and he first two don't count." Dana said slightly amused. Her counterpart plopped down on the couch heavily and crossed her arms in front of her chest.  
  
"Figures. I still don't know what he sees in her."  
  
"Come on, Sus, it's not like you ever had a chance in the first place."  
  
"I know that, Dana. I just like to think I did." There was the sound of a door opening and Bianca emerged from the basement and went upstairs without a second glance in the living room. Dana watched her go before standing.  
  
"I'm going to go..look around. Have fun watching TV." In a flicker of time she was gone.  
  
"Well, looks like it's just you and me Seizure boy-" Susan found herself in an empty room; Buster sitting comfortably in the chair Dennis was seated in moments ago. Feeling lonely and miserable, she picked up the flicker and found solace in the Home shopping Channel. 


	22. Chapter 21

(A/N - and now for the chapter(s) that most of you have been waiting for, heehee. Enjoy ;))  
  
CHAPTER 21 - True Love's Embrace  
  
Broadway sighed contently and pushed open the door to her room, flicking on the lights. It was just as she had left it, slightly messy and dark with the familiar scent of vanilla floating around in the air. She loved her room more than any other room in the house, save for maybe the garage. She loved the paint and her bed and the slightly musky smell. She loved having her own bathroom. Above all, she loved having a home.  
  
Brushing the last thought aside, she dropped her bags near her bed before checking into her bathroom. She debated taking a nice hot bath and opted to freshen up instead. Stripping down, she turned on the shower as hot as her body could stand before placing her hair in a high ponytail and stepping behind the frosted glass walls of her shower. She let the water run all over her body, savoring the feeling. It was as if invisible hands were massaging away all the stress and pain and confusion from the last week. She knew school was starting in a few days and hoped that all this could be over before then. But then, a thought hit her: what happens after Cyrus is defeated? What happens to him, and what happens to the ghosts? But above everything else, what happens to Royce? In an instant it was as though her whole body tensed up again to the point where no temperature of water could unknot her muscles. Something stung in her chest, not a really physical pain as much as a deep emotional pain. She tried to think again of what it would be like if Royce just vanished and the pain grew stronger, morphing into sorrow. Broadway turned off her shower, frowned strongly, wrapped a towel loosely around her body and slipped back into her clothing.  
  
Steam billowed out of the bathroom and into her bedroom as she opened the door. Broadway was taking her hair down when he room dropped in temperature and she could detect the faint smell of leather. She reached into her bag and produced her pair of glasses and slipped them on, smiling faintly. Royce was lying nonchalantly on her bed, looking up at the ceiling.  
  
"You did an excellent job at hiding your room." He said casually. "Sorry to just kind of appear but I..missed you today."  
  
Broadway caught her breath. Did he just say he missed her? "Snap out of it Broadway." She scolded herself. "He's a ghost, how many times do you have to remind yourself of that?" She shook her head and realized that Royce was looking at her. "It's the only attic in the house." She joked lightly.  
  
He stood up and faced her. There was something about the way he looked at her that sent tiny shivers down her damp back. "Yeah, yeah. I just worry, that's all." He took another step forward and Broadway felt her legs lock into place. There was that voice again. The same low, breathy voice he had used the other night. He had sounded so sincere.  
  
"Prince, I can take care of myself. You should be worrying about yourself." The words just barely made it out of her mouth. Royce smiled a little and stepped closer.  
  
"I'm already dead. I have nothing to really worry about."  
  
"Except being enslaved again." She retorted evenly.  
  
"That's why I have to keep you safe. So that doesn't happen."  
  
Broadway stiffened and felt her heart pang. "Is that all? You worry about me because if something happens to me, it's game over for you?" Royce looked taken aback.  
  
"What? No, that's not it and you know it! Don't say things like that!" He lowered his voice again and spoke more softly. "I want to protect you. I want to keep you safe."  
  
"Prince..?"  
  
"Please, Broadway, don't call me that. It hurts.."  
  
She locked eyes with the figure standing before her. "Royce, why do you care so much?"  
  
"I just do." He paused. "There's something I've been wanting to ask you.."  
  
"What is it?"  
  
Royce chuckled slightly. "Um, I was wondering if you trusted me enough to take you for a drive?"  
  
Broadway brightened. "Of course I trust you, Royce. And I'd be delighted." She felt her heart race as Royce lowered his head slightly. He smiled at her, a genuine no holds barred smile. It filled her with so much emotion she just wanted to throw her arms around him once more, but held back. Royce nodded.  
  
"Alright then, lets get going."  
  
~*~  
  
She wasn't afraid. She walked out of her room, out of the house and down the front walk to where she could see Royce's car. It was a beautiful sight; it was completely restored and back to its original splendor. She wasn't afraid when he started her up and the drove away. To Broadway, this was just another drive with a close friend. A very close friend. They drove and talked for what seemed to be forever until Royce pulled over onto a little outcropping that overlooked the downtown area of Bellville. It was very pretty at night, all the lights sparkling like diamonds and the only noise being the distant hum of traffic from the highway and the incessant chirp of a million crickets. Royce hopped onto the hood of his car and gestured for her to do that same.  
  
They sat there in silence for a while, admiring the beauty of the surroundings when Broadway realized that they had moved together, sitting inches apart. She studied Royce's face intently. With all the wounds closed and the scars fading away to almost nothing, he was so handsome. He had the most unbelievable green eyes, like emeralds or jade. She wished that she could feel his breath on her neck, or feel a heartbeat in his chest. She wished he were alive.  
  
Royce tilted his head to the side and peered at her quizzically. He slid off the hood and stood in front of her so that he could be a few inches taller. He felt that something was wrong and hoped he hadn't just messed up what could very well be the most perfect night of his existence. "Well, not yet." He thought. He turned to her. "Broadway..?"  
  
"Royce..?"  
  
"Why are you trembling?" He looked so concerned, his eyes burning fiercely into hers. He leaned his face close to Broadway's. "Are you afraid?"  
  
She froze and felt her lips blossoming open. She wanted nothing more that to reach up and press her mouth to his. Her every thought told her to run and forget what she had felt. This was insane, had she fallen for a ghost?  
  
"Yes, I am falling in love with him."  
  
Without breaking his gaze, Royce cautiously slid his arm around her waist. He waited for her to say stop or for Broadway to back away from him, but she never did. He looked into those dark, depthless eyes that seemed to suck him in and leave him trapped. He placed a cold palm against her cheek. It felt so warm, the way he remembered flesh feeling like. "What am I doing? Why am I doing this? This is wrong..but if it were so wrong, why does it feel so right? Is it even possible for me to love? After all I've done throughout the years? Am I in love with Broadway?" His thoughts felt blurred and scattered and for the first time in half a century, Royce suddenly forgot that he was a ghost. He forgot about all the pain and the suffering and thought only about one thing: the girl in his arms that he was in love with. He thought about Broadway.  
  
Royce tightened his grip on her waist and brought her closer to him. He felt her heart beating in her chest and her soft breath upon his face. Slowly, Broadway brought her arms up and gingerly touched his face and neck, curling her fingers around his collar.  
  
"Broadway, do you need me to stop?"  
  
"I need you. Just you." She whispered back.  
  
Moments apart, unsure of what they were doing, locked in each other's arms and gaze, Broadway and her Guardian spirit slowly brought their faces together until their lips swept one another's. They met cautiously and sweetly, the way of most first kisses. They tightened their grip on each other and Broadway curled her cool fingers around her love's neck and through his hair. Royce brought his other hand down from her face and to the small of her back, securing her to him tightly as time seemed to stop around him.  
  
His lips were cold, but gentle, as his kiss was, but soon the air of uncertainty began to melt away to something more overbearing. Broadway's heart fluttered as the kiss deepened and she caught the first traces of what her ghost tasted like. It was a cold taste; not a heartless or empty cold, but just devoid of any life. It was a bizarre and almost hypocritical combination of emotions; how could a kiss be so wintry, yet so full of love and passion? Her thoughts were cut off as her eyes fluttered open, breaking the kiss to take a shaky breath. Royce stroked her cheek affectionately and lay her head on his shoulder. Broadway tightened her hold on her love, fearful that he might be taken away at any moment for no reason at all. The stayed like that for innumerable minutes, Royce savoring the taste of Broadway's mouth and the softness of her lips as well as the feel of her hair under his hand and the smoothness of her skin.  
  
"Royce?" Her voice seemed to echo into the night.  
  
"Hmm?"  
  
"What's going to happen when all this is over? What's going to happen to you, to us?"  
  
Royce thought about her question and the best way to answer her. "I can't tell you that Broadway. I don't know myself, really." He held her closer to his body. "But you're not going to lose me if we can help it, alright? I promise that I'll stay with you and protect you for as long as I have to." He dipped his head close to her ear and lowered his voice. "That's what you do for the dolly you love."  
  
Broadway's eyes flew open and she turned her head to face him, their noses brushing softly. "What did you just say?"  
  
"I said I love you."  
  
Her cheeks flushed red and her heart began to race once more. "He said it!" She thought excitedly. "He loves me! Royce really loves me!" Broadway tilted her head up. "Say it again, Royce. Tell me you love me." She whispered.  
  
"I love you, Broadway. Deeply and completely and always.." His last words were cut off as Royce claimed her mouth once more in an adoring embrace, the caution long gone and replaced with searing heat and need. She returned every sensation and every feeling entirely as her heart ached for more. Their bodies called out for attention from years of neglect and loneliness. Royce broke the kiss and sucked in a ragged dead breath.  
  
"Broadway.?"  
  
"God, I know Royce, lets just get back!"  
  
~*~ 


	23. Chapter 22

(A/N - And now for a shameless Lemon. Not one of my best - but hey, it's sex * runs off blushing * Enjoy and review, please!! ~ LoKi)  
  
CHAPTER 22 - Become One  
  
Royce wasn't too sure how he was able to get them back to Broadway's house without totaling the car, he wasn't used to driving with someone straddling him. They managed to get in alright and even managed to climb the steps to her room, tangled in each others arms without waking anyone else up, or getting noticed by the other ghosts.  
  
Broadway reached behind her and locked the attic door and pulled the steps up before returning to the Princes mouth. They clumsily made their way towards her bed, kicking off their shoes as they went. Royce shrugged his jacket off his shoulders and it fell to the floor heavily, before his hands found their way up the back of Broadway's shirt. The back of her knees bumped the edge of her bed and Broadway roughly pulled Royce on top of her. Her fingers gracelessly found the front of her ghosts' jeans and she hurriedly undid them while slipping out of her own shit. Royce pulled his shirt over his head gingerly, as if something in his arms still gave him pain. Broadway gave him a concerned look, but he only pressed his lips to her collarbone. A slight moan escaped Broadway's lips close to his ear and something began to stir deep within Royce; a greater sense of urgency and need, which Broadway seemed to mirror in abundance.  
  
Broadway struggled out of her pants and shifted higher on the bed. Royce took a moment to observe her in the dim, almost non-existent light. She was clad only in black lacy undergarments, her hair fanning out behind her on the dark bed sheets. Her chest heaved with every breath and her legs rubbed together impatiently. Royce decided that he had never in his existence seen or will see anyone or anything more beautiful than Broadway. Her hands roamed up and over his muscular arms and shoulders, her fingers tracing the tiny bumps and scars along the way lovingly. She searched his torso affectionately, her small warm hands running along the muscles on his chest and stomach before pulling him down on top of her once more. She placed small bites and kisses on his neck and shoulder, imagining that with every tender embrace she was transferring her warmth into his body. She was giving him a piece of her soul.  
  
Broadway moaned again and whispered his name as she felt his hands travel up and down her body, stopping in the middle of her back to undo the clasp of her bra. She pulled her arms out of the straps and tossed the garment on the floor along with the rest of her clothing and arched her back into Royce. He held her tightly and locked gazes with her, blinking with the slow, purposefulness she had grown the love. Without having to say a word, Broadway knew what he was going to ask. There was the familiar air of uncertainty in his movements, and hers as well. Broadway never would have guessed that she would give the gift of her virginity to a ghost. A ghost from the 50's to be exact. She smiled at the thought of how she was going to ruin the boy's innocence and dug her nails roughly into Royce's back, gaining herself a sharp cry of surprise and pleasure from the ghost.  
  
"Broadway I.." His voice was rough with need and she cut him off by placing her finger to his lips.  
  
"I know Royce. Just do what feels right." Broadway lifted her head and closed her lips around one of his earlobes. "I'm not going to stop you."  
  
Cocking his eyebrow, he dropped his head. "I'm not as innocent as you think, Dolly." Catching her off guard, Royce grabbed her by the wrists and pinned her to the bed beneath him. His lips cut off Broadway's cry of alarm as he claimed her mouth once more in a fierce kiss; the two exploring every inch of each others mouths immodestly. He brought his knee up between her shapely legs and slowly slid down the damp fabric of her panties. Broadway's eyes flew open momentarily but slipped back closed as Royce began caressing the soft skin of her thigh and lower abdomen before sliding his fingers inside of her. Broadway moaned against his mouth in ecstasy and arched her back further against his lean frame. He moved within her slowly at first, but gradually increased the speed as her slick opening became wetter, spilling her juices over his hand and trickling onto her bed sheets. Broadway tangled her hands in his hair and gasped his name between each ragged breath. She could feel his hard need pressing into her upper thigh and it made her want him more and more with every flick of his wrist.  
  
As though he could understand her every thought, Royce removed his hand and picked her up roughly by the waist, situating himself at her hot slit. In one single thrust, he was inside her and the two had become one. He held her securely to his body as they adjusted to her tightness. Broadway clung to his body helplessly and whimpered in pure delight. A solitary and harsh groan left Royce's throat and he forced back the near painful heat that seared through his body. They moved their bodies together in unison, adoringly at first, but their thrusts became more forceful and their cries became louder. Broadway felt her body begin to tremor uncontrollably and she clung frantically to her lover as she spilled out onto herself and Royce for nearly the second time that night. He uttered an exhausted moan and collapsed on to her warm shuddering body, nuzzling the side of her neck and placing delicate kisses on her damp skin. He rolled onto his back and took Broadway into his arms again, leaning her head on his shoulder gently. She kissed his skin lovingly and entwined his fingers in her own, lying in silence for many minutes as the cool late-summer breeze floated in through her open window.  
  
Royce watched her sleepily. He needed to regenerate like nothing else, but god DAMN was it worth it! "You're a part of me now, Dolly." He said wearily. "And you always will be." Broadway tightened her clasp on his hands and snuggled into his body more.  
  
"We're a part of each other, Royce. Things are going to be much different from now on."  
  
"Are you worried about what the others will think?"  
  
"I couldn't care less about what they have to think. I'm with my love. I love you Royce, and nothing is going to change that."  
  
Royce held her closer. "I've waited all my life for a dolly like you." He whispered. "And I'm so glad I found you."  
  
Broadway yawned and pulled the blankets over them both, he eyelids dropping exhaustedly. "Tell me about it, Stud." And with that, she drifted into the best sleep of her life. 


	24. Chapter 23

CHAPTER 23 - The Divinities.  
  
Broadway woke up a little sore the next morning, but enormously content and still positioned on Royce. She watched him sleep for a few moments, his chest warm from where she had been. She felt odd somehow, and couldn't put her finger on it. It felt as though something was missing, or she was forgetting something. She sat up a little and scanned the room quickly. Her eyes fell on something in the middle of her floor and she felt her blood run cold. She looked quickly between Royce and floor and then brought her hand up to her face.  
  
"GAH!"  
  
At the sound of her cry, Royce's eyes flew open and he sat up abruptly, nearly knocking Broadway over the side of the bed. "What? What is it, what's wrong!?"  
  
"Royce, I can..I can SEE you!!" She exclaimed, pointing at him.  
  
"Huh? Of course you can see me--holy cow, where are your glasses?!"  
  
Broadway pointed to the middle of her floor. "There, they're there! How can I see you without the glasses?"  
  
"Last night must have given you more than I thought." Royce smirked. Broadway gave him a playful slap on the arm.  
  
"This isn't that funny!" She tried to hold in a giggle. "I don't understand what's going on."  
  
"Me neither Dolly. All I can think of is..is.." he paused and looked at her closely. "Gee, you sure are pretty in the morning."  
  
Broadway blushed and tucked her hair behind he ear. "Royce, you're too sweet." The rest of her sentence was cut short by a bang on the attic door and the muffled voice of her sister.  
  
"Broadway? Wake up, breakfast..and have you see Royce? He's not in the garage." Came Bianca's muffled voice from downstairs.  
  
Broadway cast Royce an amused look. "Oh yeah, I've seen him.." She trailed off and giggled. She heard her sister mutter something before trudging away. "Come on, we better go downstairs."  
  
"Do you want me to go first?" Royce asked, pulling his shirt on.  
  
"Nah, we'll go together. I'm sick of hiding us away."  
  
"Alright. Lets go."  
  
~*~  
  
"What do you mean you can see us without the glasses?!" Susan asked standing from the table, letting the chair she was sitting on fall to the floor.  
  
"I mean, I woke up this morning and I could see Royce without the glasses." Broadway replied slowly. "I can see you right now and I can see Dana and Jean over there, and Dennis over there," she pointed to each of the ghosts as she spoke. "I can't figure it out!"  
  
"How many fingers am I holding up?" Dana asked.  
  
"Nine."  
  
"Holy shit - she CAN!" Dana flickered across the room and waved her hand before Broadway's face. "Can you see this?"  
  
"Knock it off" Broadway grabbed her wrist and tossed it away.  
  
"She's one of the Divinities." Jean said delicately, folding the cover of the magazine she was reading. "She has awakened the power to see the dead." The room fell silent in puzzled amazement.  
  
"I see dead people?!"  
  
"You see dead people." Jean replied. "It's written in the Arcanum that certain individuals are granted specific divine power under particular circumstances. There is the Seer, the Protector, the Spellstress, and the Prophet. I suppose you could be any one of those, save for the Spellstress of course which is Kalina. The individuals granted with this power are called the Divinities and they all hold the power to see the dead. You are one of them."  
  
"But how do we figure out which one she is?" Seth asked. Jean cast a look at Arthur who diasappeared to the basement. "Could any more of us be one?" He continued.  
  
"It's possible. There are circumstances that arise to awaken a Divinity. I don't know them by heart, but I'll be able to tell you once I get the book." Arthur returned and placed the Arcanum on the table before his wife. She flipped through the pages while the others grouped around her in a tight circle. "Ah, here we go, Um Divinus, the divinities." Jean read quietly to herself as the group looked at each other worriedly. Broadway watched her expression carefully and chewed on her bottom lip. "Broadway, you are um divinus vindux."  
  
"What? How do you know? And what the hell does that mean?"  
  
Jean looked up. "It's really quite simple, and we should have known from the start by the way you always charged into the face of danger. The way you went to Royce's aid. You are the Protector."  
  
"Makes sense." Seth muttered. "But what does it mean?"  
  
"The Protector is the foundation of the Divinities, without it, they wouldn't have the strength to fight or be. They simply wouldn't exist. You are the epitome of support and leadership and are trusted by all. They have the ability to love more deeply than any of the other divinities, and have an iron devotion to the ones they love. The Protector is the symbol of Sacrifice, as they will do so for the ones they love." Jean trailed off and looked thoughtful.  
  
Seth slapped his forehead with his hand. "But HOW did this happen to Broadway!?" Jean opened her mouth to speak and a faint blush spread to her cheeks.  
  
"The Protector must have..bonded with a ghost." She said gently.  
  
"Bonded..?"  
  
"Yes, bonded.. intimately with the a ghost that she wishes to protect." There was a moment of stunned silence as all eyes fell on Broadway and Royce. Dana broke the silence with an almost shrill giggle.  
  
"Ah-HA! I knew it! I knew you loved each other!!"  
  
"You slept with..you did WHAT!?" Mallory's voice was almost as shrill as Dana's and she was blushing furiously. Bianca slapped her hand over her mouth and squealed.  
  
"You're such a dog, Royce!"  
  
The ghost threw his hands up in defense and smirked lightly. Broadway crossed her arms before her chest and rolled her eyes faintly.  
  
"Right, so now that you all know - and you'll have time to gawk later - I think there are some more important matters at hand. Jean, how do you know all about the Arcanum? There's always this feeling that you're no telling us everything."  
  
"It's very true, I do hide a lot from you children. But there are reasons for my actions. When I was alive, I was a teacher like my husband. I taught Latin at the university. The Arcanum is written in an ancient version of Latin, one of the earlier texts. It's very hard to decipher, and coupled with the fact that I've lost a good deal of my memories and knowledge, it's taken me longer to translate and understand the writing. I've been waiting until I know all I need to about the book and the Ocularis before bringing any of it up; to avoid confusion in case I have to go back and reference. Although, with this startling new development, I guess I'll have to work faster and get on with it." Jean rose and took the book in her arms.  
  
"I'll start from the beginning. This book was written by an astrologer in the 16th century, his name was Basillious. He wrote this book while under demonic possession. The Arcanum is, in lamest terms, the instruction manual to building a machine that can see everything; Heaven and Hell, earth and the spiritual realms, the cursed and the hallowed. This machine is called the Ocularis Infurnam, or, The Eye of Hell. In order for it to work, it requires the energies of thirteen specific spirits. Cyrus built the machine to look like a house and attempted to lure my husband into becoming the thirteenth ghost, as it must be a wiling human sacrifice. However, before he could, Cyrus was killed and we were apparently set free. What we didn't know, was that Cyrus had actually become one with the house, and as long as he was in the denial stage, we were prisoners to the grounds."  
  
"What's the denial period?" Bianca asked.  
  
"When you die, you go through a stage where you refuse to accept the fact that you're dead. Before you can cross over or gain access into the spiritual realm, you have to come to terms with your death. This is called the denial period." Susan answered. Jean nodded.  
  
"As I said, Cyrus is one with that house and will not stop until the Ocularis Infurnam is opened for him to see all. However, there is something here that I don't think he knows of. Basillious was lapsing in and out of consciousness when he was under possession, and he remained himself long enough to record this passage about the Divinities. They are the only things that can truly stop the Ocularis and destroy the Arcanum. Conversely, since Kalina is essentially on Cyrus' side and IS one of the Divinities, I honestly don' t know if we're going to be able to stop it. That's why I've been holding my tongue - even if we stop him from killing the twelve new victims and find the thirteenth, without all the Divinities, we only have a certain percentage of success."  
  
"What's our percentage?" Seth asked monotonously.  
  
"Approximately forty-two percent." The room fell silent once more and a black cloud hung heavy in the air. If that was their window of opportunity, no one seemed all that optimistic anymore. 


	25. Chapter 24

CHAPTER 24 - The Boys of Summer  
  
Seth sat alone in the kitchen later on that night, his fingers resting comfortably around a cold can of Guinness. The girls had insisted that they needed to get out and do something by themselves and had been gone for a good portion of the night. He checked the wall clock that ticked back and forth loudly, the sound ringing in his ears. Zeke and Luke were asleep upstairs, they went to bed early that afternoon. Seth figured they were scared; hell he was scared and that wasn't something he was ready or willing to admit.  
  
He raised the can to his lips slowly, deliberately intending on getting himself plastered that evening. It's not like Seth had anything better to do with his time. He suddenly became aware of the person sitting across from him, and Seth cocked an eyebrow over the silver-white framed glasses he now wore constantly. Wordlessly, he cracked open another can of the malt beer and slid it over to the figure who accepted it almost gratefully.  
  
"If you hurt her I'll make your after life miserable." Seth said quietly.  
  
"Don't you go worrying over something like that, Seth." Royce replied, reaching into his letterman jacket pocket and pulling out a worn looking cigarette pack. He put one of the sticks into his mouth and searched his other pockets for a lighter. Seth tossed a book of matches at the ghost.  
  
"Those things will kill you." He muttered darkly.  
  
Royce only grinned and sat back. "So," He began. "forty-two percent. Think we'll make it alright?"  
  
"Nope, I think we're fucked."  
  
"I think you're right."  
  
"Evening gentlemen." Seth and Royce looked up in unison to see Dennis enter the room, taking the seat at the end of the ovular table. "Mind if I join you?"  
  
"Suit yourself. Wanna drink?"  
  
Dennis nodded at Seth and he opened another drink for the psychic. The ghost raised the can to his lips and took a long drink.  
  
"This tastes like shit."  
  
"It's just the malt, makes it an acquired taste. You'll love it after about half a dozen." Seth replied dryly.  
  
"Do you plan on drinking that much?" Royce asked.  
  
"I don't have anything better to do, plus it's healthy for a lad to get smashed once and a while. Reminds me that I'm still human."  
  
The trio sat in silence for a long while, enjoying each other's company and the bitter malt liquor as the night dragged on, the clock ticking forever in the kitchen. A good number of empty cases of the malty liquor lay about the table and kitchen floor and Dennis was opening another lazily. Royce lit another smoke and took a long draw, making little 'o' shapes with the smoke.  
  
"Don'tyou need ta breathe to dothat?" Seth asked curiously, his speech a little off.  
  
"Nope." Royce answered shortly. He giggled and did it again. "See, it's magic!" Seth laughed curtly and tipped out of his chair. Dennis laughed and leaned over then table to check on his companion.  
  
"Dude, are you okay?"  
  
The mortal boy pulled himself back onto the chair and shook his head. "That fuckinhurt guy." He slurred in response. Just then there was the rattle of keys in the door and the sisters tromped into the kitchen with Dana and Susan. The group stopped short and looked stunned at the three males.  
  
"Holy shit, they're TANKED!!" Broadway exclaimed, breaking the silence. She raised an eyebrow at Royce. "And since when did you start smoking?"  
  
"Sincabout fiftyears ago." He replied simply. "Butit's rude to smokein front uvalady."  
  
Mallory grabbed Seth by the collar and pushed him towards the basement. "Alright you guys, party's over. Seth, get to bed right now and I don't want to hear any of you complaining of hangovers tomorrow."  
  
Broadway licked her fingers and put out the end of Royce's smoke. "It's rude to smoke in front of a lady." She said sweetly.  
  
"Ohcome on Dolly, don't denyme the simple thingsin life.." He pleaded.  
  
"Sorry Prince, but if Matron comes home to the house smelling like those, she's gonna have a fit. Now come on, time for bed."  
  
~*~  
  
After she had shooed everyone to bed, Mallory sat in the kitchen and disposed on the empties. She didn't notice Dennis standing behind her and cried out shortly when she turned to face him.  
  
"Dennis! You scared the shit out of me! Don't do that!"  
  
"Do what?"  
  
"You know what I mean." She said shortly. "Wanna help me clean up your mess?"  
  
"Not really, but I can't really say no to a pretty lady." Dennis replied.  
  
"I think you had a bit too much to drink." Mallory laughed.  
  
"Maybe, but unlike those boys, I know how to hold my liquor." The psychic said smugly. Mallory raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Oh good, then get to it." She placed a few empty cans into his hands and grinned.  
  
"Haha, you're funny."  
  
"No, I'm not allowed to be funny. I'm supposed to be the mature and homey one. It's my job, if I wasn't, no one would last a minute without Matron."  
  
Dennis gave her a concerned look. "Do you really believe that, Mallory?" She didn't answer. "Mallory..?"  
  
"My mother was a grand woman. We lived in a house in the country, her and my father and I, but she got sick when I was a young. So my dad moved us into the city so the doctors could help her. When she died, I my dad went crazy. He started calling me Sophia, my mother's name, and he took to gambling. He thought that my mother was still alive so he was trying to get enough money to save her. It's sad really, I don't hate my father..even though he did so many things to me. I thought that he used to beat me because I wasn't good like my mom. I used to think that if I cooked and cleaned he would love me like he used to. Then, one day he just left and I didn't see him for three days - I was seven years old." Mallory's lips trembled and her voice broke. "I don't hate my father, I love him. I'll always love my father. I loved him when children's aid took me away and locked his up and I still do." She looked at Dennis with tears streaming down her face. "That's why I am the way I am. If I can just do this and make people happy.." She trailed off and wiped her eyes.  
  
Dennis was suddenly filled with such compassion and sorrow for her that it felt like his heart would break. Without a second thought he took her hand and brought her forward, taking her lips in his own. All of her terrible memories flooded his head, muting the sound of empty cans hitting the floor but he didn't care, all he wanted to do was to comfort the woman in front of him and make all her pain go away. Mallory didn't pull back or scream or cry, she just trembled and wrapped her arms around the ghosts neck tightly and pressed her lips against his. She felt his body tremor as her memories cascaded into his mind but he only clung to her tighter. When he finally broke the kiss, Dennis looked pleadingly into her eyes.  
  
"Mallory, you only have to be yourself! You are so beautiful and so..incredible and whatever you think you have to do to make people happy is wrong! You only have to be yourself! Do you understand me?" She nodded mutely and sniffed.  
  
"Dennis I.."  
  
"What..?"  
  
"Will you stay with me tonight? Please?" The ghost nodded and took her hand.  
  
"Mal, I'd stay with you for however long you need me too." 


	26. Chapter 25

CHAPTER 25 - Dahlia  
  
Broadway sat in english class tapping her pen on her desk nervously, her eyes scanning the room every few seconds. She was silently memorizing the floor plans of her school while her teacher droned on and on about school policies. Seth was in the class beside her in history, Zeke and Luke were in the basement in phys-ed, Mallory was on the first floor in law and Bianca was on the top floor in science. Broadway checked the clock and sighed inwardly, lunch was only a few minutes away. She knew the ghosts were somewhere in the school, but she didn't know where.  
  
She let her eyes scan the room once more, but stopped mid way. From the other side of the room, a girl with long auburn hair was staring at her intently, her green eyes burning right through her skull. Despite the late summer heat she was wearing long sleeves and thick jeans. Broadway blinked and nodded in the girls' direction, causing her to jump slightly and drop her eyes, suddenly becoming very interested with her shoelaces. Before Broadway could think of anything the bell rang and everyone picked up their bags and high-tailed it out of the class.  
  
~*~  
  
Dahlia Masterson blinked quickly and looked away once she realized that Broadway had figured out she was staring at her. She couldn't put her finger on it, but something about the dark haired girl was amiss. Her aura was surrounded with death and sorrow, as if she was linked to the deceased somehow. In any case it made her uncomfortable, and she wanted to get as far away from that girl as possible; the last thing she needed right now was a seizure.  
  
Dahlia turned down another hall and was about to duck into the bathroom when someone grabbed her from behind and spun her around. Broadway glared at her coldly and crossed her arms before her chest.  
  
"I don't like to be stared at." She said simply. "Don't make it a habit."  
  
"I-I'm sorry." Dahlia stammered nervously. She could feel that aura under clothes and through her skin. "You just don't have a very pleasant aura, that's all. I can usually pick up on these things."  
  
Broadway's expression changed from irritated to intrigued, and she loosened her arms. "What do you mean, aura?"  
  
"It's the energy that surrounds a person's body."  
  
"And you can see that?"  
  
Dahlia rolled her eyes and sighed. "Yes, I can see that. I can see a lot of things, now will you leave me alone? Class is going to start in a few minutes and-"  
  
"How do you see these things?" Broadway interrupted suddenly. She glanced around before pulling Dahlia by the arm into the bathroom. Se repeated the question more urgently once inside. "HOW do you see people's aura?"  
  
"I just do, I always have! Look, what is this all about? If you're interested in that kind of thing, why don't you go pick up a book on it?" Dahlia replied defensively. She was beginning to feel anxious and more than a little uncomfortable.  
  
"Are you psychic?"  
  
"Are you going to ask me to tell you your future?"  
  
"I can see dead people."  
  
"You're not funny."  
  
A shocked look came over Broadway's face and she nodded her head in the direction of the door. "Look over there and tell me what you see."  
  
Thinking nothing of it, Dahlia glanced over towards the door. She couldn't see anything, but something was wrong. The energy was all fucked up and it was cold. Really cold.It felt as though Death's bony fingers were closing around her throat.  
  
"What is this all about?"  
  
"Do you see anything?" Broadway asked.  
  
"No, but I feel something."  
  
"Death?"  
  
"How'd you know?"  
  
Broadway opened her mouth to answer but stopped, reaching into her bag and producing her old pair of spectral viewers. She passed them to Dahlia wordlessly and waited. The smaller girl placed them on her nose and peered at the door once more, This time, however, she DID see something. She saw a girl, about her age if not a little bit older. She was wearing an old dress and tiara. She was very pretty, but she held her neck at an odd angle.  
  
"Oh my god..is that a..a..-"  
  
"Ghost? Yeah. That's Susan. Say hello Susan." Broadway replied simply, as if nothing unusual was going on. Susan waved and gave a little hello. Broadway grinned. "I told you I saw dead people."  
  
"What is going on here?"  
  
"Honey, I think you better come with me." Broadway glanced at Susan. "I think we may have found one of us."  
  
(A/N - sorry for the short chapter, but I've been having Birthday celebrations this week (and I'm going to have to change my profile), so this is all for now. I'll update soon! Keep those reviews coming - I love them all!!! ~ LoKi) 


	27. Chapter 26

CHAPTER 26 - The Beginning of the End  
  
Dahlia stood mournfully at the foot of the grave, staring blankly as they lowered the coffin into the yawning mouth of the earth. Her mind was swimming with a million different thoughts, all of which were from the last week. Her family wept mutely around her, but she was still far to stunned to allow a tear to slip from her eyes. To her right, Broadway shuffled a little and played with her hands, a tell tale sign that these events made her feel awkward and ashamed.  
  
Dahlia's brother was dead. In his suicide note, Sage wrote about the dreams, about the twelve disfigured people and the man wrapped in chain. He wrote about the "beautiful martyr" and the halls of glass and how he was going crazy. He wrote what he had been seeing in his dreams, not knowing that they were premonitions. He killed himself without knowing that he wasn't crazy. He killed himself without knowing that he was a Divinity like she was.  
  
~*~  
  
"So now what..? What are our chances now, really? I say we just give up now, before any more of us wind up in the ground, and forget this ever happened!" Dahlia paused. "No, forget it - I don't give a shit about what YOU people do, but my twin brother is dead now, and I'm not going to be a part of this anymore. I don't care!!"  
  
"Giving up isn't going to bring your brother back! We have to stop this! We have to TRY!" Seth retorted angrily.  
  
"We don't even have a hope in hell of winning against this monster now - Sage is gone, and he was the final Divinity! That lowers our chances to what now, nil?!" Mallory said, her voice rising slightly. "I agree with Dahlia on this one - this is serious now, her brother is DEAD! That could have been any one of us!"  
  
"He's dead because he didn't know who he was or what he had to do - and he took HIS OWN life! No one else!" Broadway interrupted. "We can still do this - we have to at least try! We can't just sit idly by and watch as all hell is let loose." She shot a look at Arthur and sighed.  
  
Arthur adjusted the glasses on his nose and stood up. "I'm sorry I brought you all into this. You should have all turned away at the beginning."  
  
"We would have been involved in one way or another. I'm the Protector for chrissakes! You would have had to find me sooner or later; most likely the latter and brought us all into it then anyway. We only made finding me easier." Broadway said quietly. Arthur nodded.  
  
"I know..but I want you to know that I'm sorry that this had to happen..I have children of my own..if anything happened to them I'd..I'd.." He trailed off and looked at Jean pleadingly.  
  
"This has to end. We can't let Him get any stronger. Now the way I see things is this: we have two options and whichever one you choose you have to decide quickly. The first is that we get our shit together and get this over with. We go to the house and finish things once and for all. We destroy the Ocularis and the Arcanum and go on with our lives the best we can. Our other option is that we forget this ever happened right here and now and let Cyrus kill thirteen innocent people. We do nothing and let him unleash Hell on earth." The Withered Lover paused and studied the faces of the people before her. "I'm not trying to guilt trip you, if that's what you're thinking, I'm merely stating the facts. I'm not going to sugar coat anything for you guys anymore. These are your options, plain and simple and whatever you decide you must do so quickly. Tonight it ends - whatever you decide."  
  
The room was quiet for a moment, thoughtfulness on the faces of everyone there.  
  
"I'm going. I knew I was going from the start and even if I have to stop an entire army myself I swear to God I'll do it." Broadway said finally. Royce tossed her a look.  
  
"I'm sorry it had to come to this, Dolly."  
  
"I'm not. I've been looking for a reason to like myself for a long time now."  
  
Dennis opened his mouth to say something, but shut it quickly. He had a bad feeling all of a sudden but couldn't place it. It was probably the aura in the room that was making him feel so tense, anyway. Mallory gave his hand a gentle squeeze through the fabric of her sweater and nodded.  
  
"I'm not going to let you go through this alone, Broadway. We've stuck together through worse times, and I'm not about to abandon you now." With Mallory's words it was silently agreed that there was no backing out. Dahlia sighed.  
  
"I have to do this..for Sage. For everyone." She looked at Jean. "What do we have to do?"  
  
"Once we get to the house Kalina will try to stop us from entering. She will use barrier sells on us and most likely try to kill you seven. We have to try to find a muting spell in the Arcanum or keep her from uttering to barrier spells before we can fight Cyrus. You'll need our help more than anything in the end."  
  
"Leave that to me." Dahlia said. "I can distract her while you guys slip into the house."  
  
"No." Seth shook his head. "We'll need you inside. If anyone, I should try to distract her. Myself, Luke, and Zeke. We distract her and think of something while you all get inside and do what you have to."  
  
Dana shook her head fiercely. "No, that won't do either. Splitting up isn't going to do any good! We have to stay together - you know, strength in numbers. Plus, once we're inside, that's it. The house will seal up and you won't be able to get inside."  
  
"Alright then, I'm out of ideas. Anyone else?"  
  
"Wait wait, what if we were to lure her somewhere and place a barrier spell on HER? Would that work?" Bianca offered.  
  
"Trap her where, though?" Dana inquired.  
  
"What if we lured her into a car and then put spells on the car? We could try that!"  
  
The Princess gave her an incredulous look. "You want us to lure Kalina in to a car and then put barrier spells on the car?"  
  
"Why not? It would get her out of the way - and if it doesn't work, we'll go to plan B."  
  
"Which is..?"  
  
"Which is I haven't thought of one yet."  
  
Arthur rubbed his temples. "Well, we might as well go with that for now unless we think of something better on the way there or while we're there because I for one am all out of ideas."  
  
"Then it's settled." Dennis muttered. "I guess we leave immediately." 


	28. Chapter 27

CHAPTER 27 - The Beginning of the End: Part II  
  
The house was silent and looming in the early dusk. A cool wind blew through the threes and seemed to whisper tidings of death and sorrow. The group stood at the edge of the driveway and scanned the perimeter for signs of Kalina.  
  
"She won't appear unless we approach the house." Jean whispered. "She wants to stay as close to Cyrus as possible."  
  
"Then lets go ring the doorbell and say Hello." Broadway muttered. She shivered in the chilly air and silently wished she had put a sweater on. "Nah, things are going to heat up before the end of the night." She thought miserably, but with a hint of adventure. Her boots thudded heavily along the ground as she stormed up the driveway with determination. Royce fell into step at her side.  
  
"This is where we first met." He said casually.  
  
"Yeah, this is where I saved your ass."  
  
"Maybe I might be able to return the favor."  
  
Broadway stopped and faced him. "Royce..don't leave me tonight, alright? Stay close to me?"  
  
He wrapped her in a tight embrace. "I promise, Dolly. I'll stay with you."  
  
"Hey - Beauty and Beast - can we please save that for the victory party?" Dennis called from behind them. Broadway bent down and picked up a small round stone that she pitched at Royce. He sent it flying towards Dennis who faded out of the way in the nick of time. The Prince tapped his bat on his shoulder.  
  
"Don't forget who you're talking to, Dennis. How IS your head, by the way? Did that nanny ever kiss it better or-"  
  
"Knock it off you two! Now is hardly the time for a pissing contest!" Mallory said firmly. The wind picked up suddenly and something moved in the shadows. "What's that?"  
  
Susan adjusted her eyes to the darkness and gasped. "DUCK!!"  
  
The group fell to the ground as some unseen force flung several pieces of aluminum siding from the side-yard shed at them. The same high-pitched cackle heard all those weeks ago rang through the stillness as Kalina floated into view.  
  
"I knew you'd come. Come to your death!"  
  
"We have to think of a way to get her to chase us." Seth whispered to his brothers. "We need to get her in to Broadway's truck before the girls can put the barrier spells on it."  
  
"Why don't we take her cloak?" Luke whispered. "She'd want that back more than anything, right?"  
  
"Yeah..yeah, she would! What do you say, boys? Go for it?" Seth nodded at Luke and Zeke before springing to his feet. "COVER US!!" He shouted before the three of them took off towards the spirit.  
  
Broadway swore and sprang up, Royce and the others at her heels. Seth, Zeke and Luke circled Kalina as the rest of them tried to keep her attention elsewhere. Luke grabbed the back of her robe and pulled as hard as he could. Kalina shrieked as the garment slipped off her body and she was once more exposed to the world. Seth gagged as a rancid smell flooded his nostrils and locked the spirit in a bear hug as Luke and Zeke got a head start towards the car. Kalina faded out of Seth's grasp and knocked him backwards before pursuing his younger brother.  
  
"Get ready! Jean, get ready!!" He shouted.  
  
Zeke entered the back of the Avalanche through the right hand side and exited through the left making his way to the front. Luke followed with Kalina dangerously close. He exited the same way as Zeke and slammed the door shut. Kalina gave a curious look before trying to get herself turned around to exit the way she came. Zeke slammed that door closed as Jean cried out the barrier spell.  
  
"She better not fuck with my truck or else I'm going to be DAMN pissed." Broadway muttered as Kalina's shrieks echoed throughout the night.  
  
"Forget about that - now that we have her out of the way we can get inside, and Cyrus will be weakened because his Spellstress is out of the picture for the time being!" Dana scolded.  
  
Arthur slipped the golden key into it's slot and the front of the house opened silently. "Well, doesn't this bring back pleasant memories?" He murmured.  
  
"Pleasant indeed." Jean replied dryly.  
  
It was dimly lit inside; the only light seemed to be coming from the main floor chamber - the room with the Black Zodiac design on the floor.  
  
Bianca rubbed her hands together. "Well, where do we go now? Where is he?"  
  
"Somewhere." Susan replied. "I would think to check the basement first."  
  
"Makes sense. Anyone got any better ideas?" Arthur said.  
  
"Yeah" Seth muttered. "Lets torch this place and get the fuck outta here. Place gives me the gibblies."  
  
Arthur snickered. "You have no idea."  
  
They moved slowly and quietly from room to room, throughout the vast hallways until they found the stairs leading down. The basement looked like a giant yawning mouth, swallowing up all light into it's dark depths.  
  
"I guess no one thought to bring a flashlight, ah?" Arthur paused at the top before taking a tentative step downwards. It seemed sturdy enough and he took a few more steps, Jean and Dennis following close behind. He let out the breath he had been holding and turned to the group. "There, see - it's alright." There was a deep grumbling sound followed by the low sound of metal on metal before the staircase fell away and Arthur fell into the darkness. 


	29. Chapter 28

CHAPTER 28 - Cyrus  
  
It wasn't a long drop to the bottom, but Arthur landed on is knees making it nevertheless unpleasant.  
  
"I'm alright! I'm ok." He called up to ease the fears of the people above him.  
  
"Are you hurt?" Mallory called down nervously.  
  
"No, I'm alright. Just a little sore." He heard Seth say he was coming down and felt something heavy land close to him. Someone lit a match and Seth's concerned face flickered in the darkness.  
  
"Are you alright, man?"  
  
"Yes, I'm fine. We have to find a way up and out of here. If Cyrus is down here, he most certainly heard that and he'll be coming soon."  
  
Seth nodded and gestured over his shoulder. "It's not a hard climb up. I think we should all stick to that room with all the light. At least we'd see who's coming."  
  
Arthur nodded and took a few wobbly steps towards the rubble. With some help, he made it up onto solid ground where Mallory and Jean checked for any major damage.  
  
"We can't stay here - lets find something to use as light before the sun goes down completely and start to strategize. We're running out of time here." Another low rumble in the basement cut Arthur's speech short and he stood up gingerly.  
  
"We're already out of time." Dana mumbled. "He knows were here. He's going to play with us first - that's what he does. That's what your uncle does with things. That's what he did with us."  
  
"Stop, Dana. This is hard enough, we don't need this on top of everything." Susan scolded.  
  
The Angry Princess opened her mouth but a louder rumble and the sound of metal on metal cut her off. A foul stench rose out of the basement and surrounded the group. "I think we should MOVE!" Dana shouted, grabbing hold of Susan by the arm and tugging her towards the front of the house.  
  
"Maybe we should lure him outside!" Luke shouted. "We're too closed in here - there's not enough room to dodge or move around."  
  
"It's too late to turn back now. Look!" Arthur pointed to the front windows. They were already sealing up and all f the outside light was being cut off.  
  
Seth brought his fish down upon one of the small tables. "Shit!! What the hell do we do now? We gotta think here!"  
  
"We're in way over our heads.." Dahlia muttered. "We should have planned this better."  
  
"Sometimes, even the most well thought out plans can be fucked up in the end." Dennis commented. "And Arthur's right, there isn't any turning back now. All we have to do now and take things one step at a time."  
  
Broadway crossed her arms over her chest "Alright then. Step one - we get a light source. Seth, give me your sweater. Royce, your bat if you'd be so kind.."  
  
Royce raised an eyebrow and handed his weapon over silently. Seth opened his mouth to protest as Broadway tore the sleeve of his sweater off, but shut it when she produced a small can of butane from on of the pockets of her cargo pants. She wrapped the sleeve around the top of the bat and shot a look at Royce. "Are you bound to this?"  
  
"..No, only to my car."  
  
"Sexcellent." Broadway carefully soaked the fabric with the fuel before producing a lighter from another pocket. She carefully flicked it open and set the cloth on fire. "Voilla! Insta-torch."  
  
"Good show, Dolly." Royce said grinning. "I never would have thought of that."  
  
The torch provided enough light to illuminate whatever darkness remained. Luckily, the roof of the house didn't seal up and the last streaks of sunlight was filtering in, casting a red glow on almost everything. Against the torchlight, it was an ominous scene.  
  
The group stood around the seals of the Black Zodiac in the main room, watching as the gears clicked and spun together. The rumbling was getting louder and louder, and the whole house smelled like death. Bianca gagged and put her hand over her mouth in an attempt to save herself from throwing up. Before anyone could speak a malicious giggle rose from the ground beneath them and the center gears dropped away. Mallory ducked behind Dennis and clutched the Arcanum to her chest. The laughter died down to soft chuckling before an all too familiar voice rose from the ground.  
  
"Well, well, well. Of all the people I though I'd never see again you, Arthur, were at the top of my list. And what about you Dennis? Dana, Susan.. Royce. Jean, what a lovely surprise. Come back to your master I see? I knew you couldn't stay away for long."  
  
"This is where it ends, Cyrus. You're little ploy ends here." Arthur replied calmly.  
  
"Oh, I beg to differ. It's you're little crusade that ends here, my dear nephew. You and your rag-tag little group of fools will all die here tonight. But not all is in vain; before you die you will all witness the single most powerful act of greatness in the history of mankind. Tonight the Ocularis will open its great eye and I will become the Mater of Time. The ruler of Fate and the Keeper of the Damned."  
  
"Like hell you will!!" Dennis shouted. "You don't have that kind of power, Cyrus. You don't even have the Thirteen Ghosts!"  
  
"On contraire! I have eight living souls right here at my fingertips! And five spirit on top of that! Not only have you aided me this time, but you've almost made things to easy!" Cyrus shot back.  
  
Jean shook her head. "You have no power of us anymore, Cyrus! The Black Zodiac won't apply to us anymore - it's power not longer hold true!"  
  
"Oh PLEASE, Jean! Save me your idle banter!' Cyrus cackled once more. "You have no idea how powerful I am, do you? This has nothing to do with the Black Zodiac anymore; I have the freedom to use whomever I wish. Including you five ghosts!"  
  
A silent horror swept throughout the group at Cyrus' words. Broadway felt very dizzy and clutched Royce's arm to steady herself. "This can't be the end!" She whispered. "There has to be something we can do!"  
  
"There is!" Dahlia replied. "We're the Divinities, Broadway. We have the power to stop Him!"  
  
"Yeah, but do we have enough power? Two out of four..?"  
  
"We have to try something! ANYTHING!"  
  
"Cyrus cackled once more. "Yes, yes, little children. Try what you must in your feeble attempts to stop me; you will fail. If you feel the need to prolong the inevitable, then go. Knock yourselves out. I have all night to kill you."  
  
"I'm getting really tired of listening to you run your mouth!" Seth shouted angrily. "We came to finish this, and that's what we're going to do. You're going down Cyrus! This is the end."  
  
"Fools." The slight amusement had vanished from Cyrus' voice and the center panels began to rise once more. "You really have no idea what you're doing. You have no idea what I have become! Greatness requires sacrifice - and I made the greatest sacrifice of all. I gave my soul! And in return, I have been granted such power. Now, I grow weary of you all wasting my time. You're right when you said that it ends here, but it's you that will face the consequences."  
  
The room got very hot and an unseen wind nearly extinguished the makeshift torch. Broadway handed it off to Arthur and clenched her fists. She expected a feeble old man to rise to the center platform, but felt her breath catch in her throat and he blood turn cold when Cyrus appeared in the center of the room. His head and torso was human enough, but his back legs were those of a goat, covered with brown scales and ending in cloven hooves. His arms though were the most terrifying. They were stretched and disproportioned, hanging down to the ground. They were the colour of ash and his hands had been replaced with deadly sharp talons, each one gripping several taught spike studded chains. A row of bone spikes lines his bare arms and shoulders, and a snake coiled itself around his stomach. Anything that was or had been normal up to that point just went flying out the proverbial window. They were facing a monster. 


	30. Finale

CHAPTER 29 - Finale  
  
Cyrus greedily looked upon the stunned faces of his doomed captives the way a child would over a new toy. The house began to shift as before and all access to the rest of the house was closed off. He let a maniacal laugh escape his lips, as the stunned group looked this way and that for the nearest exit. They found only steel and glass. They were all trapped.  
  
The monster that had once been Cyrus snapped the chains at the group sending them sprawling to the ground in all different directions, effectively breaking them down into smaller groups and making it easier to pick them off one by one. The house shifted and groaned once more making smaller sections. Arthur dropped the torch will a dull thud and rolled out of the way as a section of the second floor came crashing down where he had been standing. He was trapped in a small section of the house, no bigger than a phone booth, helpless and forced to do nothing but watch. Luke, Susana and Bianca were trapped in another section, as was Dana, Jean, Mallory and Seth. Faster and fasted the house crashed down upon them, trapping them like animals. Zeke pushed Dahlia out of the way before a section almost cut her in half, sectioning her, Dennis and himself in the final corner.  
  
Cyrus turned his attention to the final two in the main section, dodging the falling walls and glass. The two most agile of the group - Broadway and Royce. The demented spirit snarled and let out an almost feral scream.  
  
"Can't you two just DIE"! Bringing back his arm, making the chains like taught spears and sent them hurdling at Royce. The ghost sucked in a dead breath and waited. Something warm and heavy smashed into him and then there was a brief scream. The rest happened in slow motion.  
  
~*~  
  
Royce faintly felt the stab of metal through his body and he watched the barbed chains pierce Broadway's torso. He felt the warmth of blood on his lips as the crimson liquid fell from her mouth. He felt himself scream her name before the words left his mouth. He phased to her and caught her limp body in his arms as she fell as silent as a snowflake, the chains slipping from her body by the force. The house transformed once more and the walls closed around them.  
  
"Broadway! Come on Dolly, don't you close your eyes now!" He cradled her gently and close to his body. She felt cold, and he could almost see the life force draining from her eyes.  
  
"Royce..I'm sorry..for this." She reached up and touched the scars on his face lovingly. "I'm so cold."  
  
Royce shrugged his jacket off his shoulders and wrapped it around her body in an attempt to stop the bleeding. He forced back the tears that stung his eyes; Broadway needed him to be strong now.  
  
"It..hurts..so much.." Her voice was choked and watery as her blood filled her lungs and it trickled out between her lips. She became vaguely aware of people screaming for her and tried to look at her family. She wanted to see them one last time, but everything was so dark and she was so very sleepy.  
  
"I know it hurts Doll, but you have to hold on. For me, for your family! You can't let him win!!"  
  
Her eyes slipped closed and Royce shook her again.  
  
"Don't leave me! Please, Broadway don't leave me!!"  
  
Her eyes flickered open, and all life seemed to be gone save for one final sparkle. "I'm so glad..I met you Royce.you were always my Prince." She sucked in another harsh breath. "You're a part of me..and although I ..tried..I fell in love...with you.."  
  
"STAY AWAKE!"  
  
"I..love you..Royce."Broadway's hand slipped from his face and her chest didn't rise again. Something sparkled on Royce's eyes and it took him a moment to realize that they were tears. He looked at the girl in his arms, his one true love, through blurry vision and realized that she was gone. Hot sticky blood soaked through his shirt and stung his flesh underneath. He felt his skin singe and burn. Blood, his blood, flowed freely from his scars and he bent to kiss Broadway tenderly. The last time he would ever feel her lips, the last embrace.  
  
Crimson liquid filled his eyes and mouth and he lay her body gingerly on the ground. Royce's body shook violently as he was wracked with sobs and his body tore open in one swift motion. He screamed and pointed at Cyrus. The house shifted once more as everyone was released from his or her cells. Her family ran to Broadway's side and cradled her adoringly and Royce bent to retrieve the makeshift torch. The light had gone out and he tore the fabric from the weapon.  
  
"Why..? Why do you have to take everything away?!" He yelled at Cyrus.  
  
A sickening smile crept onto the demons lips. "Greatness requires sacrifice."  
  
Royce's eyes narrowed into slits and he clutched the handle of his bat with white knuckles. "Sacrifice this!"  
  
He was naturally agile and managed to phase in and out of view, connection with Cyrus and delivering several brutal blows to the demon before Cyrus regained his composure and connected with Royce's solar plexus. His other hand clutched Royce by the shoulder, digging his talons into the raw and exposed flesh mercilessly. He drew back and flung Royce into the side of the glass with enough force to crack it. The ghosts uttered a single cry before falling silent, his blood pooling about his body. Cyrus brought his claws back and pointed the razor sharp talons at his chest and face.  
  
"You are MINE Torn Prince. I'll see you in Hell." Royce closed his eyes, too weak to fight back anymore. He ignored the other's screams of protest and though only about his lost love.  
  
There was the sound of metal on metal and he was jarred out of his lament. Something glinted in the fading light, but he could make out a silhouette. Something was wrapped around Cyrus' arm and claw and it took everyone a moment to realize that it was a chain. Cyrus screamed in disbelief and tried to wrench his arm away from the hold.  
  
"How could this be?" He yelled. "I just KILLED you!"  
  
Royce's eyes flew open and he struggled to his feet. "It couldn't be.."  
  
The silhouette turned slowly and faced the group whilst keeping a firm hold on Cyrus. A trickle of blood ran from her lips and her shirt was soaked with blood. The chains snaked their way around her body and around Cyrus' arm. "I am the Sacrifice of the Broken Heart; the Thirteenth and final ghost of the Black Zodiac." She turned back to face Cyrus and tightened the chain around his arm. "You Cyrus, no longer do you have the aid of your Spellstress, nor do you have the power you claim to have. You are powerless against me. You are powerless against your Thirteen Ghosts!" She pulled on the chain until his arm tore clean away from his body. Cyrus screamed in agony, a feral and animalistic noise that caused the mortals to cover their ears. The Thirteenth Ghost wrapped her chains about his body once more and reduced him to a cowering and almost pitiful being.  
  
Mallory clutched the Arcanum and looked pleadingly at Dennis. "What do I do?"  
  
Jean transformed into the Withered Lover and looked at her. "You must call for the others. Just read what's written and the rest will happen naturally." She joined Royce and Broadway in the main chamber. Dana and Susan nodded at each other and joined her. Mallory began to chant the incantations as best she could while the present ghosts placed their seals on Cyrus. One by one the eight other spirits appeared and understood, mutely joining the group that had gathered in the Black Zodiac Chamber and placing their seals upon the demon.  
  
When the twelve ghosts were finished with the crippled spirit, Broadway released her hold and Cyrus fell to the ground heavily. He looked up at her pleadingly and she might have felt pity for him if they were under different circumstances.  
  
"This is the end, Cyrus Kriticose. Give my regards to your master." Broadway drove the sigma of the Thirteenth Ghost into his flesh and with a flash, the gates of hell opened. A swirling black plague arose from it's depths and consumed the tortured Demon. Mallory took a deep breath and hurled the Arcanum into the pit after him. There was a bright red and gold flash followed by the sound of steel and glass breaking.  
  
"We have to get out of here! The house is collapsing!" Seth shouted.  
  
"But what about them?!" Mallory replied terrified.  
  
"We have to get out NOW!" Seth grabbed his sister and slipped through the sliding walls and collapsing passageways. They made it outside just as the house finally buckled into nothing and was consumed by nothingness. There was a bright flash and a shockwave, and then everything went black.  
  
~*~  
  
When they finally came to, the house was gone, but everything as bathed in an eerie yellow light. Bianca shielded her eyes against the glow and squinted at a familiar figure. "Broadway?!" She stumbled to her feet and ran to her sister who embraced her tightly. Bianca felt the warmth of her sisters' blood on her body and cried bitter tears. Broadway embraced each member of her family and tried to ease their pain as best she could.  
  
"Destiny works in funny ways." She said softly. "I was destined to be the Protector, and I protected the only way I ever knew how."  
  
Seth bit back tears and cupped her face. "Does it hurt. Are you in pain..?"  
  
"No..not anymore. Everything will fade soon. Even us." She tossed a look behind her to where the twelve other ghosts were waiting.  
  
"But why??" Mallory choked out. "I don't want you to leave!"  
  
"Mallory, do you remember when we were younger, and we thought it would be terribly cleaver to go down the Cranberry street hill in that wagon?"  
  
Mallory nodded and brushed a strand of hair out of her sisters eyes. "Yes, we were going so fast and it flipped over. You put yourself under me so that.." She trailed off. Broadway nodded.  
  
"Like I said - destiny. When I was on the streets I did a lot of dumb things that by all laws should have killed me about twelve times by now, but it never happened."  
  
Luke bit his lip. "So you're going? This is it?"  
  
"I don't know. I'm still getting used to the whole dead thing."  
  
"DON'T JOKE!" Zeke scolded angrily.  
  
"I'm perfectly serious. I don't know what happens from here on in. And I'm scared - I'm absolutely terrified." Broadway replied. "But I know that I have to go now. Know that I love you all more than anything, and tell Matron that I love her so much and there isn't anything I wouldn't give to make her happy."  
  
"What will we tell her??" Luke demanded.  
  
"Tell her that she'll see me again, but I had to go." Broadway flickered briefly. "Whoa..it IS like being underwater.." She embraced her family tightly once more before turning slowly. She took Royce's hand gently and smiled. "I wish we could have been together forever under different circumstances..." She lowered her eyes. Royce nodded and brushed her cheek with his thumb.  
  
"Me too Dolly..but sometime life will toss you a curve ball and you have to work with it. We have to go now."  
  
"I know.." Broadway reached up to touch her neck and undid the clasp of her necklace. She took Dahlia's hand and pushed the charm into her palm. "This always brought me good luck..hopefully it'll do the same for you."  
  
"Thank you Broadway. For everything."  
  
The Erikson family looked upon their sister one last time before she flickered and disappeared. But there was a quiet feeling of hope and serenity among the group and as the sky darkened to deep purple, there was almost a feeling of pride. Seth sighed heavily and looked towards the horizon.  
  
"It's over..come on, let's get the fuck away from here."  
  
"What are we going to do..?" Bianca whispered.  
  
"Save tonight." Seth replied. He took one last look at the spot where the house stood before slowly making his way down the driveway.  
  
~FIN~ 


End file.
